BY RITA HART
AND WARREN KAGARISE
Staff writer
PORT ST. LUCIE -
Despite quarreling
between national and
state Democrats, the
party's presidential candi-
dates have raised more
money in the Sunshine
State than their GOP
counterparts.
Florida voters are set to
cast presidential primary
ballots Jan. 29 making
the state a major player in
the presidential nominat-
ing contests.
Since January 2007,
when the long campaign
began, candidates have

mined Florida for political
donations.
In St. Lucie County,
where registered Democ-
rats hold a slight advan-
tage and independents
are common, fundraising
held strong during 2007.
Among Port St. Lucie
residents, Democrat
Hillary Rodham Clinton
leads other presidential
candidates in campaign
contributions. Mrs. Clin-
ton, the New York senator
and former first lady,
leads in Florida fundrais-
ing but not on the Trea-
sure Coast., She raised
about $40,000 from Trea-
sure Coast donors.
Republican John McCain

County provides

family a new house

There may still
be help for
others in need
from hurricanes
BY SAMANTHA JOSEPH
Staff writer
ST. LUCIE COUNTY A
father and his young daugh-
ter, who lost her mother
eight years ago, now have
their home back, thanks to
'county officials.
And county housing man-
ager John Franklin says his
department is looking for
other families who need
help.
Fort Pierce resident
Robert Johnson lost most of
his possessions to hurricane
dam-age-about- three years
ago.

His house, at 4706 El
Nueva Ave., lost part of the
roof, a wall and saw exten-
sive flooding.
The damage reached
nearly $60,000, his niece,
Carolyn Johnson, said.
But the insurance compa-
ny was only offering a
$9,000 payout.
"It's been a long haul.
There was just so much
damage. It helped to put a
new top on the house, but
that money was not nearly
enough," she said.
At that time, Mr. Johnson
and his young daughter,
Estia, continued to live in
,the house that had been the
family home since 1982.
They spent about two
weeks in unhealthy condi-
tions that included mold

) See HOLIDAYS, A9

Hilton chain plans

hotel for Tradition

BY RITA HART
Staff writer

PORT ST. LUCIE The
Town of Tradition now offers a
variety of housing, stores and
restaurants. Come the spring
of 2009, it will also boast a
hotel.
Core Communities,; the
developer of Tradition,
recently announced an agree-
ment with BBL Development
Group and Equinox Compa-
nies to build a Homewood
Suites by Hilton, a 14,000
square-foot, 111-suite hotel
that will include two restau-
rants.

"I probably have one of the
cooler districts right now with
the mall, Torrey Pines, and
everything else going on,"
said city councilman Chris
Cooper, whose district
includes Tradition.
Saying that the hotel.will "fill
a niche" to provide temporary
housing for people doing
business at the Torrey Pine
facilities, Mr. Cooper said his
district is growing rapidly and
planning is underway for
continued growth.
"That whole area is what we
are trying to build as our job
I See HOTEL, Al 1

County Fire District contributes

$250,000 to IRCC complex

BY RITA HART
Staff writer

ST. LUCIE COUNTY -
With the hope of improving
public safety for local citi-
zens, the St. Lucie County
Fire District has presented
a check for $250,000 to help
establish the Treasure
Coast Public Safety Train-
ing Complex.
Currently under construc-
tion, the 50-acre, $38 million
structure will include seven
buildings and will be located
just west of the Indian River
Community College's main
campus in Fort Pierce.
"The state of the art train-
ing facility will provide the
fire district with training

opportunities that will be
second to none across the
nation," said St. Lucie Coun-
ty Fire District Chief Ron
Parrish. "It's an investment
in the fire district and its
employees, as well as the cit-
izens of St. Lucie County."
According to Catherine,
Whitaker, spokesperson for
the fire district, the state of
Florida will match the dona-
tion dollar for dollar.
"So the contribution really
totals half a million dollars,"
she said.
Once completed, the com-
plex is expected., to provide
training for fire fighters and
paramedics in the areas of
fire science, criminal justice,
homeland security, law
enforcement and defense.

In addition to two-year
degree programs in such
areas as emergency man-
agement, a bachelor's
degree program in Applied
Science in Public Safety
Administration will also be
available.
The complex will also pro-
vide training in areas that
include dive rescue training,
simulation jails, a mock
courtroom, a fire station
with six-story fire tower and
a crime laboratory. The facil-
ity will be capable of provid-
ing on-site training for up to
1,000 individuals daily, and
is expected to be completed
in November, 2008.
"It's a variety of things con-
cerning public safety," said
Ms. Whitaker.

and Democrat Barack
Obama are also top recipi-
ents of Port St. Lucie cam-
paign cash.
During the first nine
months of 2007, Treasure
Coast residents con-
tributed about $500,000 to
presidential campaigns.
Mr. McCain, an Arizona
senator, raised almost
$190,000 from Treasure
Coast donors. Port St.
Lucie residents con-
tributed $4,750 to his
campaign, according to
Federal Election Commis-
sion data.
For Republican Mitt
Romney, a former Massa-
chusetts governor, local
fundraising has also

proven lucrative. By the
end of the third quarter,
Mr. Romney raised about
$172,000. Port St. Lucie
donors contributed $1,000
to that total.
Though two of the three
Treasure Coast counties
tilt Republican in presi-
dential elections, Mr.
Obama has raised more
local money than other
Democrats about
$85,000. Port St. Lucie
donors contributed $1,650
to the Illinois senator.
Presidential candidates
pulled in about $420 mil-
lion nationwide during
the first nine months of
2007, according to finance
data released in October.

Floridians contributed
almost $18 million.
Democrats have raised
$10.2 million in Florida,
compared to $8.9 million
for Republican candi-
dates.
Donors are allowed to
contribute up to $2,300
per candidate for the pri-
mary election, and then
another $2,300 during the
general election cam-
paign. -
Information for the
fourth-quarter filing peri-
od, which ended Dec. 31,
was not available at press
time.
Evett Simmons, a Port St.
I See CASH, All

HOLIDAY HOOPS

Mitch Kloorfain/chief photographer
John Carroll High School's Crystal Bell lays up undefended by Pope John Paul High
School to score two of her 28 points during the opening round of the Treasure Coast
Holiday Classic Thursday, Dec. 27. John Carroll won 64-34. See story on B10.

United Way to

honor founders

BY RITA HART
Staff writer
ST. LUCIE COUNTY- Put
on that cowboy hat, dust
off those dancin' boots
and join in the fun at the
fairgrounds, all to raise
money for a worthwhile
cause.
The St. Lucie County
United Way will be cele-
brating its 45th anniver-
sary by honoring its origi-
nal founders and
volunteers, in a country-
western themed event at
the St. Lucie County Fair-
grounds on Saturday, Jan.
26.
"We really are hoping for
a good turnout and know

everyone will have a lot of
fun," said Candace Walker,
vice president of the Eco-
nomic Development
Council of St. Lucie Coun-
ty and chairperson of the
event.
Billed as the first ever
Founder's Celebration, the
event, which begins at 6
p.m., will include live music,
dinner, dancing, both live
and silent auctions, line-
dancing lessons, square
dancing and a wheel barrel
of cheer raffle, among other
events.
"It's going to be a celebra-
tion of where we came
from, not just as a United
) See 45TH, A17

eWS

FRIDAY, January 4, 2008

Cysts
Q: Can saliva form a cyst?
A: We all have three sets of major glands in our mouths that produce saliva.
In addition to the major glands, there are many small accessary glands in the
lining of the mouth. Saliva, of course, helps clean the mouth, washing away
food particles, and it holds food together when we chew, forming a bolus, or
ball of food that we can swallow. *
Sometimes a minor trauma, like a blow to the face, can sever the gland A S :- 1'
from the duct that releases the liquid. When that happens, saliva can accumulate and form a
pocket, or cyst. From the surface, the cyst looks like a blister. These cysts occur most
frequently on the lower lip. They often require surgical removal. Sometimes a cyst will form F-
in one of the major salivary glands under the floor of the mouth and cause swelling. This
type of cyst is called a "ranula," from the Latin meaning little frog. Another problem that can
occur with salivary glands is formation of a stone, a accumulation of calcium compound that
can block a duct. Fluid builds up behind the stone and can cause swelling and discomfort.
Presented as a community service by Dr. James Strawn, located at Midway Dental Center, Midway Rd., Ft. Pierce 464-4822

Faced with one of the most
severe droughts in the region's
history, 2007 brought both
challenges and opportunities
to the South Florida Water
Management District. In
addition to managing a severe
water shortage through a lin-
gering drought, the agency
achieved a number of signifi-
cant accomplishments in
2007, adding up to a remark-
able year.
"We faced extraordinary
challenges and goals in 2007,
and I'm proud of the extraor-
dinary efforts of the South
Florida Water Management
District's phenomenal staff,"
said District Governing Board
chairman Eric Bfiermann.
Charged with the multi-
mission challenge of restoring
natural environments includ-
ing the Everglades, protecting
communities from extremes
like drought and flood, ensur-
ing water supply for future
generations, and safeguard-
ing water quality for wildlife
and people, the South Florida
Water Management District
did not let a drought dampen
its success in 2007.
"Weather extremes
demanded a coordinated
regional response to protect
our water resources a task
the District is uniquely quali-
fied to manage," said South
Florida Water Management
District executive director
CarolAnnWehle.
With a budget of $1.4 bil-
lion, 1,770 employees and a
16-county jurisdiction
stretching from Orlando to
the Florida Keys, the South
Florida Water Management
District reports a long list of
accomplishments for a ban-
ner year.
Drought/Water Shortage
Management:
Established an emergency
response Incident Command
with more than 20 drought
management teams. Imple-
mented progressive actions as
the water shortage intensi-
fied, tightening agricultural
and urban water use restric-
tions while promoting con-
servation.
Conducted extensive utili-
ty and drainage district coor-
dination.
Encouraged strong coop-
eration with local government
in enforcing residential water
restrictions. More than 11,000
warnings and 12,000 citations
were issued.
Increased District enforce-
ment of permitted water
users with more than 700 vio-
lation notices issued, result-
ing in more than $400,000 in
civil penalties.
Through a dedicated water
shortage hotline, fielded more
than 23,000 telephone calls.
Also responded to more than
2,000 water shortage e-mail

inquiries.
Distributed more than five
million copies of printed
information, received more
than 150,000 monthly web
site visits and reached more
than 60,000 people through
speaking engagements,
events and community meet-
ings.
Everglades Restoration:
Received The Bond Buyer's
"Deal of the Year" award as
the nation's most innovative
municipal bond issuer for the
District's $546.1million issue
of certificates of participation
to fund accelerated Ever-
glades restoration projects.
The District's COPs were the
first ever to be issued for a
natural resources project in
the United States.
Completed Acme Basin B
Discharge Project C-1 canal
improvements and pump sta-
tion. Part of the Acceler8 Ever-
glades restoration Water Pre-
serve Area project, the Acme
Basin B Discharge Project
improves Everglades water
quality by diverting urban
stormwater run off into the C-
51 canal and then back into a
stormwater treatment area
before release into the Arthur
R. Marshall Loxahatchee
National Wildlife Refuge.
Completed to-date the
restoration of 13,000 acres as
part of the Picayune Strand
Restoration project. This
Acceler8 project involves the
restoration of natural water
flow across 85 square miles in
western Collier County,
drained in the early 1960s.
Continued construction
on the Everglades Agricultural
Area reservoir, a massive
above-ground storage facility
south of Lake Okeechobee
designed to capture and store
regulatory releases from Lake
Okeechobee and local runoff.
The additional storage will
help reduce the number and
volume of harmful lake dis-
charges to the coastal estuar-
ies. When complete, it will
have a storage capacity of
190,000 acre-feet, or 62 billion
gallons.
Completed designs for the
C-43 (Caloosahatchee) reser-
voir and C-44 (St. Lucie) reser-
voir/stormwater treatment
area.
Acquired 7,331 acres of
land at an investment of $84.7
million. Acquired 775 addi-
tional acres through no-cost
land exchanges.-
Improving Everglades
Water Quality:
* Completed 6,000 acres of
stormwater treatment area
expansions. In total, 52,000
acres of land south of Lake
Okeechobee have now been
converted to stormwater
treatment areas, yielding
45,000 acres of effective treat-
ment marsh. In the con-
structed wetlands, aquatic
plants take up excess phos-
phorus found in the stormwa-

ter runoff. This natural
process cleanses the water
before it flows into the Ever-
glades.
Rehabilitated Stormwater
Treatment Area 1 West, locat-
ed in western Palm Beach
County, which had been
damaged by hurricane-driven
winds. Removed sediment
buildup and planted rice to
help stabilize soil for healthy
vegetation re-growth and bet-
ter phosphorus uptake per-
formance.
Measured a continuing
drop in total phosphorus con-
centrations entering the
Everglades in 2007. Stormwa-
ter treatment areas reduced
the amount of phosphorus
flowing out of the treatment
areas by71 percent.
Prevented to-date more
than 2,600 metric tons of
phosphorus from entering
the Everglades through the
continuing use of urban and
farming best management
practices and stormwater
treatment areas. This equates
to 143 20-ton truckloads or
572,000 10-pound bags of fer-
tilizer.
Restoring the Health of
Lake Okeechobee:
Gov. Charlie Crist signed
into law the Northern Ever-
glades and Estuaries Protec-
tion Program, officially recog-
nizing the interconnectivity of
the ecosystem and under-
scoring the need to focus on
the northernmost compo-
nents. Released the draft Lake
Okeechobee Watershed Con-
struction Project Phase II
Technical Plan outlining the
steps needed to reduce pollu-
tion and provide additional
storage to improve the health
of the system north of the
lake.
Scraped and removed two
million cubic yards of muck
from 3,000 acres of Lake
Okeechobee's drought-
exposed lake bed. This action
removed 140 metric tons of
phosphorus.
Burned 70,000 acres and
treated 10,000 acres of torpe-
do grass to improve Lake
Okeechobee ecology; planted
more than 2,000 native pond
apple trees to re-establish
Lake Okeechobee habitat.
Documented substantial
improvements in water quali-
ty and water clarity in Lake
Okeechobee over the past two
years, aided by two relatively
inactive hurricane seasons
and, subsequently, low phos-
phorus inflows to the 730-
square-mile lake. Just one
year ago, less than 3,000 acres
of submerged aquatic vegeta-
tion dotted the lake bottom;
SFWMD scientists recently
documented the recovery of
submerged aquatic vegeta-
tion across more than 30,000
acres.
Protecting Coastal Water-
sheds:

lil | TREE SERVICE '
If I Martin 772-219-TREE
St. Lucie 772-468-6933
Indian River 772-569-3874
Serving the Treasure Coast since 1974
inww.scottstreeservip.comr

-1

m

-I

Photo courtesy of Wanda Collins
Village Green Elementary students sit with the special gifts they sent to Army troop HHC 2-1 Aviation, stationed in Cob
Speicher, Iraq. The school adopted the troops to make sure their holiday season was a little brighter.

ents, church and business
partners donated over 200
pounds of Christmas good-
ies, cash donations for
postage and shipping, as
well as 70 different types of
identified care package
items for over one hundred
troops stationed there.
Students and staff that

have relatives, mothers, sis-
ters, fathers, husbands,
uncles, son-in-laws and
friends stationed there and
prepared Christmas cards,
special greeting notices, well
wishes and praises of hero-
ism.
The main focus of the spe-
cial effort was to teach stu-

dents how important it is to
support the troops fighting
in foreign countries. The
Soldiers perform many
heroic deeds each day to
protect and serve our nation
as well as many other for-
eign countries and should
not be forgotten during this
holiday season.

Local couple to be honored

by Big Brothers Big Sisters

FOR HOMETOWN NEWS

Ken and Patty Scott, of St.
Lucie County, will be hon-
ored with the Big Brothers
Big Sisters of Florida "Phil-
anthropic Award" at the
"Inspirata Gala" to be held
inTampa on Jan. 19.
The Scotts were consid-

ered with nominees from all
over the state of Florida for
this prestigious recognition.
Patty Scott became a
board member in 1985,
shortly after the St. Lucie
County chapter was creat-
ed. Ken Scott served two
terms as the board's presi-
dent.

The couple has been a
constant presence at
fundraisers and volunteer
events for 22 years.
"From 14-hour days at our
Bowl for Kids' Sake
fundraiser, to contributing
$50,000 toward our operat-
ing budget over the'years, to
physically moving a play-

house exhibit. We are so
grateful to the Scotts for
their unending commit-
ment to children in St Lucie
County," said Judi Miller,
Big Brothers Big Sisters'
CEO. "They set a living
example of how true role
models impact the world
around them."

WEEK IN

REVIEW

Vandalism reported
in Lake Charles development

An anonymous witness reported to officials at the
front gate of Lake Charles in St. Lucie West that they
just witnessed three juveniles breaking lights on the
bridge in the development.
When police arrived, they discovered three broken
lights on the bridge just of Southwest Lake Charles
Circle and four additional broken lights on the bridge
leading to the community's clubhouse.
In addition, three lighted trees and a train set locat-
ed on the east side of the clubhouse were damaged,
and garland and bows from both bridge rails were
found floating in the water.
In a ditch under the first bridge, police found a
wooden handle, approximately 2.5 feet in length, that
appeared to have been hit against another hard sur-
face.
Lake Charles officials were able to provide police
with still photos of the suspects taken from video sur-
veillance. At press time, no suspects had been
charged.

Two are bitten by dog on Christmas Eve
while in their own yard

* A 23-year-old man and his 13-year-old stepbrother
were playing with the family dog in their Port St.
Lucie yard while their father stood nearby on Christ-
mas Eve.
Suddenly, another dog ran out of the woods near the
home in the 980 block of Southeast Brookedge
Avenue and attacked both sons, biting both of their
left forearms before their father was able to chase the
dog away.
Both were treated at the hospital for the wounds.
The dog that attacked has not been found.

Red tide affects beach goers

Microscopic organisms at St. Lucie County beaches
are causing reports of respiratory problems in some
residents, county staff advised.
The organisms, called Karenia brevis, get the name
Red Tide because they discolor water, turning it red,
light or dark green brown or clear.
Beachgoers at some local beaches are experiencing
mild eye, nose and throat'irritations as a result, a
county advisory noted.
Water quality samples have reported low concentra-
tions of Red Tide at some county beach accesses.
But the organisms pose no serious health risks, it
added.
They produce a toxin that can affect the central
nervous system of fish, birds, mammals and other
animals.
Red tide blooms can last days, weeks or months and
can also change daily due to wind conditions.
For more information, visit
http://research.myfwc.com/, or call the Aquatic Toxins
hotline on (888) 232-8635. County residents can also
direct questions to James Moses on (772) 873-4931.
Compiled by Rita Hart and Samantha Joseph,
staff writers

Hope for Macular

Degeneration Sufferers
by Shelley Koppel

Age-related macular degeneration is
the leading cause of blindness in people
older than 60.
Until recently, there have been no
effective treatments for this eye disease.
Within the last few years, two drugs,
Lucentis and Avastin, have been
approved for the treatment of the wet
form of age-related macular
degeneration or wet AMD.
However, there has been nothing
available for sufferers of the dry form,
which is much more common,
accounting for 90 percent of cases.
Now a Stuart-based ophthalmologist
and researcher Is among investigators
around the country who are enrolling
patients in a clinical trial to test the
safety and efficacy of a medication for
dry AMD.
I spoke with Ronald Frenkel, a
voluntary associate professor of
ophthalmology at the Bascom Palmer
Eye Institute, a part of the Miller School
of Medicine at the University of Miami,
about the upcoming trial and about a
new diagnostic tool that helps doctors
assess the damage caused by AMD.
"This new technology is a new way to
visualize the retina," Dr. Frenkel said.
"We are able to look at the retinal
pigment and check the health of the
eyes in ways we could not before. You
see things very starkly; it's almost like
wearing night-vision goggles. We're
better able to tell whether the disease is
progressive or not."
For the clinical trial, Dr. Frenkel is
seeking 20-30 patients with dry AMD
who are between 50 and 89.
Participants will receive examinations,
treatment and medication at no cost.
Since this is a clinical trial, some
patients will receive placebos, or sugar
pills, instead of the medication. In this
way, researchers can determine if the
medication is effective.
While there are several visits in the
beginning, follow-up is spread out so

that people who do not live here year-
round are still eligible. The entire test
period is two years.
"This medicine is being tested
against geographic atrophy, which is
what causes patients with dry AMD to
lose their vision," Dr. Frenkel said.
"Patients can lose the ability to read or
recognize faces. Those are the people we
want to look at."
In addition to the medication or
placebo, all trial participants will receive
a specific formulation of supplements,
known as the AREDS formula, which is
available without a prescription and has
been shown to reduce the progression of
the disease in people with intermediate
stage dry AMD. The formation includes
zinc, vitamin C, vitamin E, beta carotene
and copper.
Patients should consult a physician
before beginning the regimen to see if it
is appropriate for them. People 60 and
older should have regular eye exams to
check for changes that may not yet
affect vision.
For those concerned about getting
macular degeneration, Dr. Frenkel has
two pieces of advice.
"Don't smoke," he said. "We don't
know exactly why, but that is a good
predictor of who may get macular
degeneration. Regular eye exargines can
catch the disease early, and early
diagnosis is important."
For information about the clinical
trial of fenretinide for the treatment of
dry AMD, call Ann Marie Guiliano at the
East Florida Eye Institute at (772) 287-
9000.
For information about age-related
macular degeneration, visit the Web site
of the National Eye Institute at
iwww.nei.nih.gov.
I 509 SE Riverside Dr.
Suite 302 Stuart
www.efei.com

"CAR DEALERS-

SMARTEN UP"

YOUR CUSTOMERS ALREADY HAVE.

r

i

E MPLOYMEN1
if our culture
sounds like one
that fits with youi
Ideas on the wy
business should
be conducted,
please call us.
5618M44.3461
We needtoadd
to ourteam in all
darttments...
parts, bodyshop
and accounting.

'Fellow Florida Car Dealers, if you don't
know me, I should tell you that I don't profess
to be some "holier than thou" car dealer who
was always perfect for the past 38 years.
When I look at some of my past advertising
and sales tactics, I am not always proud.
But I have evolved as my customers have
evolved. My customers' expectations, level
of education and sophistication are much
higher today. Your customers are no different.
My remarks are made sincerely and with a
positive intent toward you and your custom-
ers. I am not trying to tell you
how to run your business. I "My CU
am suggesting a change that
will reward both you and your expectant
customers.

Now, here is the good news. After eliminat-
ing the dealer fee my profit per car did drop
by about the amount of the dealer fee, but
my customers realized I was now giving them
a fair shake and quoting a complete out-the-
door price with no "surprises". And the word
spread. My volume of car sales began to rise
rapidly. Sure, I was making a few hundred
dollars less per car, but I was selling a lot
more cars. I was and am selling cars to many
of your former customers. My bottom line
has improved, not because I eliminated the
dealer fee, but because I was

stomers'
ions, level

able to earn the trust of more
customers in buying their new
or used car. You can do the
same.

Virtually every car dealer Of education ana Why am I writing this letti
in Florida adds a charge to I'm not going to tell you t
the price of cars he sells, a Sophistication are I think of myself as the n
"dealer fee/dec fee/dealer "sheriff' that has come
prep" fee ranging from $500 much higher today." "clean up South Florida".
to nearly $1,000. This extra fact, I am well aware that 1
,charge is programmed into '-' letter is, to some extent, s
your computer. It has been made illegal in serving. Many people will read this letter
many states including California, but is still learn why they should buy a car from n
legal in Florida: The reason you charge this and not you. And, I am also aware that m
fee is simply to increase the price of the car dealers who read this will either get angry
T and your profit in such a manner that it is not ignore it or not have the courage to follow
noticed by your customers. This is just plain lead. But maybe you will be the exception
wrong. I used to charge a dealer fee ($495) you have any interest in following my le
and when I stopped charging it a few years call me anytime. I don't have a secretary
r ago it was scary. But I did it because I could I don't screen any of my phone calls. I wo
no longer, in good conscience, mislead my love to chat with you about this.
customers. Just because everybody else Sincerely,
was doing the same thing, did not make it
.,/orrect. Earl Stewart- Earl Stcwart Toyota
To find out more about what Earl thinks about buying a car, click on
www.earlstewartoncars.com
561*844*3461

er?
hat.
new
to
In
this
elf-
and
me,
nost
and
my
i. If
ad,
and
would

An Open Letter to Florida Car Dealers.-

Eliminate the "Dealer Fee"."

Earl Stewart Toyota of North Palm Beach
1215 North US-1, North Palm Beach Located in Lake Park, Florida ;
earls@earlstewarttoyota.com

With AdvantageCare you can have it all!
Great Savings, Great Network, Great Service

Good Medicare coverage can be great when you
have the right plan.

$0 Plan Premium*

$0 Primary Care Doctor Visits

$0 Prescription Copays*

Part B Premium "Give Back"*

Prescription Coverage through the GAP*

Provider Network Flexibility'

Health and Wellness Programs

U.S. Based Customer Service

*Other plans available. Benefits differ by plan.

205 12/26/07 Advant Care
H5426-ADV081205 12/26/07 AdvantagejCare

Ballroom dancing
Professional ballroom
dancers are coming to Club
Med Sandpiper in Port St
Lucie, Jan 10-13, offering
free shows and lessons dur-
ing the four-day extravagan-
za. The event will include
buffets, activities, open bar,
and lessons. For more infor-
mation, call (954) 722-2321.

St. Lucie County
Chamber
of Commerce
Upcoming committee
meetings:
Friday, Jan. 4, at 8:30
a.m., the Hispanic Council
will meet at 730 N.W Enter-
prise Drive, in St. Lucie West.

* Monday, Jan. 7, at 4 p.m.,
the Diversified Minority
Council Meeting will be held
at the Ft. Pierce Chamber
Conference Room, 2200 Vir-
ginia Avenue, in Fort Pierce.
* Wednesday, Jan. 9, at 8
a.m., the Port St. Lucie Area
Council Meeting will be held
at the Port St. Lucie City
Hall, 121 S.E. Airoso Blvd.,
Room 188, Port St. Lucie.
* Wednesday, Jan. 9, at 4
p.m., the Governmental
Affairs Meeting will be held
at the Chamber Administra-
tive Office, 1850 S.W. Foun-
tainview Blvd., Suite 201, in
Port St. Lucie.
* Monday, Jan. 14, at noon,
the Education and Business
Partnership Committee
Meeting will be held at the
Chamber Administrative
Office, 1850 S.W. Fountain-

view Blvd., Suite 201, in Port
St. Lucie.
Monday, Jan. 14, at 4
p.m., the Fort Pierce Area
Council Meeting will be held
at the Fort-Pierce Chamber
Conference Room, 2200 Vir-
ginia Avenue, in Fort Pierce.
Tuesday, Jan. 15, at 11:30
a.m., the Business and
Industry Meeting will be
held at Kight Center located
at, 3209 Virginia Avenue,
Fort Pierce. The Kight Cen-
ter is off 35th Street. Lunch
cost is $12, please RSVP by
Jan. 11.
Tuesday, Jan. 15, at 3:30
p.m., the Young Floridian
Committee Meeting will be
held at the Chamber Admin-
istrative Office, 1850 S.W.
Fountainview Blvd., Suite
201, in Port St. Lucie.
Thursday, Jan. 17, at 8:30
a.m., the Special Events
Committee Meeting will be
held at the Chamber Admin-
istrative Office, 1850 S.W.
Fountainview Blvd., Suite
201, in Port St. Lucie.
Thursday, Jan. 17, at 3
p.m., the Tourism Commit-
tee Meeting will be held at
the Chamber Administrative
Office, 1850 S.W. Fountain-
view Blvd., Suite 201, in Port
St. Lucie.
Thursday, Jan. 24, at 8
a.m., the Board of Directors
Meeting will be held at the
PGA Historical Center, 1916
Perfect Drive, Port St. Lucie.
For additional informa-
tion, please contact the St.
Lucie County Chamber, of
Commerce, (772) 340-1333.

Driver safety
program
A two-session AARP Driver
Safety Program will be held
at the Lakewood Park
Branch Library on Saturday,
Jan. 12 and Saturday, Jan. 19,
from 8:30 a.m. to noon.
This program is the largest
refresher course for drivers
age 50 and older. It is
designed to tune up driving
skills, teach how to allow for
normal age-related physical'
changes, and reduce the
chances of traffic violations
and crashes. Graduates of
the course may be able to
qualify for an automobile
insurance discount ...
Though this class is
designed for older drivers,
there is no age restriction.
Registration is required
'since enrollment is limited.
There will be a $10 fee for
materials.
'The Lakewood' Park
Branch Library is located at
7605 Santa Barbara Drive, in
Lakewood Park. For more
information or to register,
call Carol Shroyer at (772)
462-6870.

'Walls of Art'
St. Lucie County's Morn-
ingside Branch 'Library is
presenting paintings by four
area artists: as part of the
library's "Walls of Art" pro-
gram.

Throughout January,
library visitors can enjoy oil
and pastels by Judy Coff-
man, photography and fine
art by Barbara Brissette,
watercolors and mixed
media art by Christine
Trevethan and photographs
by Bernie Trevethan.
If you are interested in dis-
playing your handicrafts or
artwork, please call (772)
337-5632 or stop by the
Morningside Branch Library
to sign up. The Morningside
Branch Library is located at
2410 Morningside Blvd.,
Port St. Lucie.

Slammin' Eagles
Tryouts will be held on Jan.
6, from 10 a.m.-1 p.m. at
Lyngate Park in Port St.
Lucie for the under 11-travel
baseball team. For more
information, call (772) 408-
7533.

Registration at
Sportsman's Park
Port St. Lucie National Lit-
tle League is having registra-
tion Jan. 5, from 10 a.m. 4
p.m., and Jan. 6, from 11
a.m. 3 p.m. The cost is $85.

Baseball clinic
Port St. Lucie Baseball will
host a clinic with profes-
sional ,instructors on Satur-
day, Jan. 5, from 10 a.m.-2
p.m. at Langford Park, 2369
N.E. Dixie Highway, in
Jensen Beach.
This clinic is open to all
boys ages 8 to 18.
This baseball clinic is
designed to establish and
build on individual pitching,
batting, fielding skills. Prop-
er technique and form will
be emphasized.
Lunch will be provided.
All participants must bring
their own equipment. Cost
is $75 for non-members and
$65 for members. Registra-
tion is available online at
www.pslbaseball.com.
For more information, call
(772) 201-7246.

Computer group
Computer users are invited
to attend the Tri County
Computer user group gen-
eral meeting on Jan. 12, at
the Port St. Lucie Communi-
ty Center, 2195 S.E. Airosa
Blvd., starting at 6:30 p.m.
Featured speaker will be
Seanr McCarthy with a pres-
entation concerning identi-
tytheft.
For more information, call
(772) 335-3127.

Arc looking
for volunteers
The Arc of St. Lucie County
is looking to rebuild its vol-
unteer base.
They are looking for moti-
vated individuals to organ-
0 See NOTES, A16

1-888-805-9959
TTY: 1-800-955-8771 ",
8 am 8 pm, seven days a week
For accommodation ofpersons with special
needs at sales meetings, call 1-888-805-9959.
TTY: 1-800-955-8771, .
A sales representative will be present with
information and applications. There is no
obligation to enroll.
AdvantageCare is offered by METCARE
Health Plans, Inc., a Medicare Advantage
Organization with a Medicare contract. All
Medicare beneficiaries may apply.

* www.advantagecare.com

)L( J;~;~

'ai :ii::

I I

1,. : .P 2 ,.:,,

NOW 1w R.Nff RIM

,r :.

Editor's note: This is a
list of arrests, not convic-
tions, and all arrestees are
presumed innocent unless
or until proven guilty in a
court of law.

St. Lucie County
Sheriff Department
Dec. 21- Dec. 28

*David Clinton Wilder, 20,
2303 N. 15th St., Fort Pierce,
was charged with being a
habitual traffic offender.
*Roberto Castillo-Lam, 43,
2721 S.W. Tolley Court, Port
St. Lucie, was charged with
battery on a police officer,
loitering and prowling,
revisiting an officer with vio-
lence, being a habitual traf-
fic offender, second-degree
petit theft and resisting an
officer without violence and
depriving an officer of com-
munication.
*James William Davidson,
57,1504 N.E: 24th St., Jensen
Beach, was charged with
violation of probation. He
was on probation for grand
theft.
*Darren Alan Muldrow, 38,
702 N. 22nd St., Apt. B, Fort
Pierce, was charged with
violation of probation. He
.was on probation for lewd
and lascivious exhibition.
*Darlene Ann Curtis, 39,
816 Dayman Ave., Fort
Pierce, was charged with
sale of oxycodone, posses-
sion of oxycodone and
unlawfully selling a drug.
*Donald Bruce Stanley, 37,
1971 Floresta Drive, Port St.
Lucie, was charged with vio-
lation of probation. He was
on probation for aggravated
assault with a deadly
weapon without intent to
kill, resisting afi officer with
violence and driving under
the influence.
*Tyler Timmerman, 20,
347 Kristin Drive, Saint
Marys, 'was charged with
violation of probation. He
was on probation for fleeing
from police and being an
accessory after the fact.
*William David Moore,
35, 1538 S.E. Royal Green
Circle, Apt. H201, Port St.
Lucie, was charged with vio-
lation of probation. He was
on probation for being a
habitual traffic offender,
possession of cocaine and'

burglary with assault.
*Jeremiah Haden Coun-
terman, 30, 11451 Willis
Road, was charged with
fraud and violation of pro-
bation. He was on probation
for illegal possession of
marijuana, burglary of a
vehicle, third-degree grand
theft and second-degre'e
petit theft.
-Javier Chapa, 28, 1102
Bayview St., Port St. Lucie,
was charged with violation
of probation. He was on
probation for retail theft.
Tyrice Wilson, 31, 2605
Bennett Drive, Fort Pierce,
was charged with domestic
felony battery, possession of
cocaine and possession of
drug paraphernalia.
*Jeanna Michele Kelly, 36,
1916 North 44th St., Fort
Pierce, was charged with
tampering with A victim and
domestic battery.
*Bradford Carlyle Baker,
28, 2401 South 24th St., Apt.
4H, Fort Pierce, was charged
with two counts of aggravat-
ed assault with a firearm,
discharging a firearm in
public, using a firearm while
impaired, possession of
marijuana and possession
of drug paraphernalia.
*Melvin Learvine Miller,
.52, 7707 Indrio Road, Fort
Pierce, was charged with'
being a habitual traffic
offender.
*Jose Porfirio Garcia, 27,
6529 North U.S. 1, Fort
Pierce, was charged with
violation of probation. He
was on probation for driving
under the influence of alco-
hol.
*William Romano, 40, no
address listed, was charged
with escape, violation of a
court order and vandalism.
*Marino Martinez, 29, 210
S.E. Entrada Ave., Port St.
Lucie, was charged with vio-
lation of probation. He was
on probation for being a
habitual traffic offender. -
*Daniel Roy Menard, 40,
730 N.E. Kingston St., Port
St. Lucie, was charged with
being a habitual traffic
offender.
*Johnny Joseph Manord,
42, 5400 S.E. Jack Ave., Lot
B3, Stuart, was charged with
violation of probation. He
was on probation for pass-
ing a worthless check.
*Edward Kivlin, 38, 1849
Maravilla Ave., Fort Myers,

was charged with failure to
appear in court on charges
of attaching an assigned tag,
having no driver's license
and driving under the influ-
ence of alcohol.
*Michael George Zoyes,
31, Bates Ave, Port St. Lucie,
was charged with being a
habitual traffic offender.
*Onika Franticell
Williams, 36, 15169 S.W. Fox
St., Indiantown, was,
charged with violation of
community control for fail-
ure to appear in court on a
charge of being a habitual
traffic offender.
*Alexander John Barreiro,
23, 275 N.W. 106 St., Miami,
was charged with violation
of probation, He was on
probation for possession of
cocaine.
*Cleo Burks, 50, 3210
Louisiana Ave., Apt. 4, Fort
Pierce, was charged with
organized fraud worth less
than $20,000, deposit with
intent to defraud and third-
degree grand theft.
*Andrew James Durant,
23, 1106 Canal Terrace, Fort
Pierce, was charged with
being a habitual traffic
offender.
*Martha Lucia Harris, 37,
Indian St., Stuart, was
charged with aggravated
stalking and trespassing on
posted land.
*Donald Meadows Jr., 37,
2671 Mohawk Aie., Fort
Pierce, was charged with
violation of probation. He
was on probation for being a
habitual traffic offender.
*Douglas Whitney Collins,
26, 2032 Greenan Lane, Port
St. Lucie, was charged with
sale of oxycodone, posses-
sion of oxycodone and
unlawfully selling a drug.
*Luis Manuel Ruiz, 20, 901
Ruels Lane, Apt. B, Fort
,Pierce, was charged with
dealing in stolen property
and loitering and prowling.
*Erik Hernandez Ramirez,
20, 941 S.W. Jaslo Ave., Port
St. Lucie, was charged with
failure to appear in court on
a charge of second-degree
petit theft.

violation of probation. He
was on probation for battery
on a school board authority.
*Charles Franklin Lewis,
age not given, 2829 S.E.
Cabana Lane, Port St. Lucie,
.was charged with felony
domestic battery.

intent to distribute, pos-
session of more than 20
grams of marijuana, carry-
ing a concealed weapon
and possession of drug
paraphernalia.
*Ralph Evon Kiner, 23,
3728 Lyncrest Drive, Hep-
hzibah, Ga., was charged
with grand theft of a motor
vehicle.
*Cory Taylor Saunders, 20,
1033 S.W. Aswan Ave., Port
St. Lucie, was charged with
lewd or lascivious molesta-
tion against a victim 12
years of age or older but less
than 16 years of age and
lewd or lascivious battery.

Florida Department
of Corrections
Dec. 21-Dec. 27

*Dana Gayle Payne, 39,
132 N. 12th St., Fort Pierce,
was charged with violation
of probation. He, was on
probation for two counts of
burglary of a structure, three
counts of third-degree
grand, theft, two counts of
dealing in stolen property
and giving false information
to a pawnbroker.

If you have information about a crime,
call Treasure Coast Crimestoppers at
1 (800) 273-TIPS.

VIEWPOINT

FRIDAY, JANUARY 4, 2008 *

HOMETOWN NEWS WWW.HOMETOWNNEWSOL.COM

Got something to say?

Call the Hometown Rants & Raves line at

(866) 465-5504
or e-mail news@hometownnewsol.com.
Callers are asked to refrain from making slanderous
statements. Statements of fact will be checked for
accuracy.

Leave the windmills alone

I can see the Indian River keeper has come out from
under his rock to complain about St. Lucie County. The last
time was after the hurricanes when he didn't want the drive
opened back up to the public. Now he wants to go after the
power plants because of the windmills. Where was he when
they doubled the storage at the plant? He didn't say boo
then. He can't get his neighbors to clean up their acts, but
now he wants to go after the power plants.

Even pet toys are 'Made in China'

With all of the items being recalled from China, you can't
be too safe. Since most of the items in the media are
children's toys and my children are all grown and on their
own, I should double-check all the items that I buy for my
other children (Chihuahuas).
I was in for a great surprise as my husband and I went
from store to store and almost everything was stamped
with Made in China.
From dog treats to dog toys, you are highly unlikely to
find more than one item in each store that isn't made in
China. After even asking for assistance from store clerks,
we found that they were as surprised as we were that the
items for our four legged loved ones, aren't American made
either.
What a wake-up call for an American who lives in the
USA, not to be able to purchase American-made products.
I've never been so disappointed, to not find more than one
item for our doggies that wasn't made in China.

Turn down the background music

I am getting to the point of no return when it comes to
listening to almost every program on TV, for some reason
they all seem to have their background music tuned up so
high that most times you can't even hear what the main
characters in the movies have to say. The old time movies
rarely, if ever, had this problem, and never did it interfere
with what the actors were saying, are the musicians so hard
of hearing that they can't hear how loud it is, or am I the
oddball when it cones to loud music?

Let's talk about the AM?

One rather major political item didn't get much play in
the mainstream news this past week.
Congress passed a bill reforming the Alternative Mini-
mum Tax. This measure had been enacted years ago to
make it more likely that very wealthy taxpayers would not
escape paying taxes by way of various deductions and
loopholes. Reform to that law was needed as inflation had
the AMT imposing substantially more taxes on the middles
class.
Reform of the AMT had only one issue; how to deal with
the shortfall in revenue it would cause $50 billion. The
Democrats proposed a solution: Remove the loophole that

allows hedge fund managers to pay taxes on virtually all
their earnings at the 15 percent capital gains rate.
These ultra wealthy Managers have designed the com-
pensation for their services so that they are considered
participants in the funds by investing not capital, but their
services. Normally their compensation would be taxed at
the much higher ordinary income rates that the rest of us
pay. There aren't many of these managers, but their pay is
so high (many are paid in the billions) this tradeoff would
work.
This seemed like a win-win. Middle Class taxpayers get
the break they need, and it is paid for by fairness aimed at
the very people the AMT was meant to affect. Without
paying for removing the tax on the middle class, the debt
that has the US borrowing $1 billion per week from China
(yes, China) would explode further.
One problem. The Republicans, including the President,
-were unwilling to remove the loophole for their super
wealthy friends. Because of filibustering in the Senate and
the threat of veto from the White House, we now have AMT
reform, but the perfect way to pay for it is gone and we are
burdened with more debt.
When I was growing up I remember asking my father
what Democrats stood for (we were Democrats). He told me
Democrats tried to help ordinary working people. I asked
him what Republicans stood for. He told me they tried to
make the rich richer and the poor poorer. I thought that
was a terribly mean thing to say about a group of people
and could not possibly be true. I am now 55. Whether it is
the issue of taxes, the minimum wage, workers rights, trade
union legislation, or seeking cheaper labor overseas, I have
never found a bit of evidence indicating my father was
wrong.

Respect everyone's religious beliefs

Our country was founded on the belief of religious
freedom not Christian beliefs.
There is a difference.
Jews, Muslims, Atheists and agnostics need not go
anywhere. We are where we belong.,
Bible thumping Christians need to look in the mirror and
reflect on their very hurtful comments. This country is not

a Christian country. It is a country where respect and
religious freedom are afforded to all law-abiding citizens.

Quit blowing the grass into the water
How do the lawn services get away with blowing all the
cut grass and other landscaping leftovers into the sur-
rounding waterways?
Isn't there a law against this?
And when the waterways become unnavigable because of
this build up, will the landscapers pay?

Sad about loss of dog

Our family dog was mauled to death by two pit bulls while
my 10-year-old walked her on a leash. These two dogs came
up behind my son as he was walking down our street, and
they preceded to kill our dog as my son screamed for help.
Animal control came out and put them down. I would just
like to make sure that this story is going to be told, this was
the fourth situation with these same dogs, and mean while,
my son is traumatized and our family dog, who was a 1-year
old shitzu-yorkie mix, had no chance.

Vick should get more

The article in the rants and raves titled 'This sentence
should open eyes.' It was a great article. It stated that
Michael Vick got 23 months for the pit bull fighting and
how he should have got more. It said that we need more
judges that would give harsh sentences. I couldn't agree
more. We must do things to protect our animals. I
believe in an eye for an eye. We should have some public
executions or electrocutions to the people that do
cruelty to animals. I'd be honored to pull the switch on
anyone that hurts animals. I'd be happy to hang Michael
Vick. I'd run up to anyone that was hurting an animal
and have a long harsh talk with them and would proba-
bly take their animal away.

) See'RANTS & RAVES, A7

Letters

A special 'thank you'

To the Editor:
In August of this year, our son Dylan sustained a
fracture of his leg, it was not the first, the doctors called
the police and social services and our family was
accused of child abuse. Our lives would never be the
same. Dylan underwent numerous tests, X-rays and
blood work and was eventually diagnosed with Osteoge-
nesis Imperfecta, or Brittle Bone Disease.
The criminal charges against Preston would eventually
be dropped, but not before accumulating more than
$30,000 in legal fees and with DCF charges still pending
and another $15,000 in unpaid medical bills, we are still
uncertain how much this will cost us in the end.
A very special person by the name of Caroline Miller
happened to read the article that was published when
the charges were dropped. She too has the disease, as
does her father and her children and was outraged by
the accusations. She read the article to her students
who were very familiar with the disease as she talked
about it frequently. The students heard about our
dilemma and decided they wanted to help make the
Stanton's and baby Dylan's first Christmas, one to
remember.
These little elves collected toys, clothes, diapers,
formula, money, gift cards, Dylan's first Christmas
Ornament and other odds and ends and wrapped them
all up. With Santa at their side, they delivered all of
these presents to out house along with dozens of stories,
poems and prayers of hope and joy.
Caroline, her family and these students have forever
changed our lives and we would like to request that you

publish the following thank you. They have truly
touched our hearts and our lives and they deserve to
know how much what they did for us really meant and
affected us.
"A special thanks also goes out to 'Dr. Pamela Roberts
for her fundraising efforts and to all of the others who
have helped make this Christmas one to remember.
Thank you.

The Stanton's
Port St. Lucie

To Caroline, her family and all of her students at
Treasure Coast High School:
We feel so honored that you have entered our lives and
want each and every one of you to know what angels you
are and how eternally grateful we are to you. We are not
just grateful for all of the presents that you brought, but
you lifted our spirit and our sense of hope.
You reminded us that there are people out there that
care even if they don't know who you are, people who
want to lend a helping hand and be there for you to pick
you up off the ground and get you moving in the right
direction.
Your thoughts, your prayers and your letters of hope
and joy have inspired us, renewed our hope and have
given us the energy to keep on fighting. You are all truly
angels in our hearts and will never be forgotten. You
have also reminded us what the true meaning of Christ-
mas is all about.
For that we thank you.

Never forget three historic events
As we enter the holiday season, we can be thankful that
we live in the best country on this Earth.
We have some problems, but still this is the best country.
I strongly believe that we need to keep three major events
that have occurred to this country in our minds at all times
as we enter this holiday season.
The Alamo and what is occurring right now with the
illegal immigrants and the problems that situation is
causing.
Pearl Harbor and what is occurring with our automobile
industry. We have many Japanese-named auto assembly
plants in this country, but how many American auto
assembly plants are there in Japan? I expect there are very
few, if any. I cringe when I see Japanese named cars driven
by our military personnel, both active duty and retired, and
our police and fire personnel. I believe these individuals
have been defending our country or our communities but
now some have chosen to drive a Japanese named car when
Japan tried to destroy us at Pearl Harbor. I was in the
military for several years, and I have always driven Ameri-
can-named cars and would never consider driving anything
else.
The twin tower disaster needs to be remembered as we
have many enemies that are out to destroy our country and
our way of life.
I want to wish each of you a Merry Christmas and a Happy
New Year.

Unlike World War II, basis
for newer wars seem vague
I hate it when U.S. involvement in Vietnam and the
Middle East is compared to World War II.
There is no correlation. Japan attacked Hawaii, and Hitler
was a madman from Germany intent on taking over the
world. The U.S. declared war against two countries to
protect the U.S. and our European Allies.
There was a vague and inconsistent "preventing the
spread of communism" about Vietnam.
So, perhaps someone can tell me how North and South
Vietnam are doing now? Did we improve things for some-
one? Who? What? How? I really do not know.
In Iraq, we destroyed terrorist training camps, captured
(Saddam) Hussein, and stopped the work.on germ warfare
the only WMD found.
So, what are we doing now?
I do like it that there appear to be fewer terrorist attacks,
but I do not see how we can "stabilize a government" in an
area that has been characterized by hostile desert tribes for
centuries. Must we force them into the 21st century and
democracy, because our way is the right way?
It is a contradiction that we are'fighting terrorists in the
Middle East when our own government says that thousands
of terrorists cross both our boarders illegally every year. It
would make sense that the U.S..government assist local law
enforcement in stopping the illegal invasion that is in
violation of our immigration laws.
Why are we fighting terrorism in other countries and
leaving our borders open?

Another case against U.S. founded
as Christian nation
I'd like to comment to the two people who wrote different
articles referring to the U.S. Constitution and God.
The person who wrote that the U.S. Constitution refers to
"in the year of our lord ..." is incorrect in the assumption
that it makes us a Christian nation. Jewish people have

always used the word Lord referring to God and Muslims in
using Allah are referring to the same God.
For those who don't know it, Allah is the Arabic word for
God and even Jews in that area, if they speak Arabic, use the
word Allah.
So that does not make us a Christian nation.
The other writer assumes the word "oath" has got to refer
to God. Never assume. Check your dictionary. (Oath means)
1) a solemn appeal to God or to some revered person or
thing. 2) a statement or promise strengthened by such an
appeal. 3) the form of words in which such a statement or
promise is made.
The expression we sometimes hear, "I swear on my
mother's grave," could be typical of the first definition.

Don't make killers famous
Twenty years ago, the poor slob who killed the holiday
shoppers in the Omaha shopping center would probably
have ended his sad life alone at home.
However, in the insane world we live in today, he knew he
could be famous if he took others with him as he says in his
suicide note.
He got what he wanted. So, the next slob who has trouble
handling life will follow his example. The media says the
public wants to know.
People, please step up. Tell your news stations that all you
want to know about a criminal is how to catch him/her or
how to protect yourself from others of his type.

Dems do nothing, but GOP keeps us safe
The Democratic do-nothing Congress, House and Senate,
again criticize the Iraqi government and then they can't
even pass bills to support our troops in the new budget.
They are pathetic: Reid and Pelosi, the dynamic do-
nothings, as would be Hillary Clinton, another do-nothing.
Why would anybody even vote Democrat is beyond me.
Under Republican President Bush, we live well in this
country and are safe and secure with God taking care of us
and the Bush family.

Some facts offered about illegals
This is in regard to "Economically, U.S. Hispanics produce
more than they consume."
The attitude of'get on the train or get run over" is the type
of attitude that legal Americans dislike. In the past, legal
immigrants wanted to become Americans and learned our
ways and English. America did not have to learn their
language and their way of doing things. Is this writer
implying that we had better become Hispanic in all our
ways or they will force us to? That kind of attitude does not
make us want to welcome them. America welcomes those.
who want to be Americans and do so legally.
In answer to the question raised, "Isn't it interesting that
so few Hispanics are actually incarcerated in our prisons?:"
This person is uninformed.
A check with the Urban Institute showed in 2003 the "U:S..
Justice Department estimated 270,000 illegal immigrants
served time nationally. Of those, 108,000 were in California
and that some estimates show illegals now make up half of
California's.prison population, creating a massive criminal
subculture that strains state budgets and creates a night-
mare for local police forces."
Former California Gov. Pete Wilson places the percentage
of illegal aliens in U.S. prisons even higher: "One in five in
our prison population were illegal immigrants who had
been convicted of a felony after entering the country
illegally."
Up to a third of the U.S. federal prison population is
comprised of non-citizens, according to Federal Bureau of

Prisons statistics.
As to the "hard-working" claim, (the Center for Immigra-
tion Studies) notes: "The proportion of immigrant-headed
households using at least one major welfare program is 24.5
percent compared to 16.3 percent for native households."
Investor's Business Daily concurs: "Once (illegals) get
here, they are 50 percent more likely to be on welfare than
citizens."
These are the facts.
Editor's note: The Federal Bureau of Prisons says 31.3
percent of the federal prison system are Hispanic, but does
.not say if they are citizens or not.
Also, on Oct. 26, 2006, Colorado Media Matters took issue
with many of the facts submitted in this rant, which seems to
have emanated fro a particular radio show. A copy of that
article is available at
http:/ /colorado.mediamatters.org/items/200610240004.

Takes issue with editor's note
on 'loyal opposition'
This is in response to your editor's note at the end of the
rant titled, "Support the troops with a united America."
You claim the ranter "want(s) to be the sole arbiter of
honest dissent."
Nonsense, the ranter expressed views on patriotism which
oppose those who want to surrender Iraq to the terrorists
before Iraqis are prepared to defend themselves.
The ranter's view on patriotism reflects that of thousands
of conservative Republican voters in Brevard County who
constituted the majority in past elections.
The terrorists fighting our troops in Iraq have stated they
want to take away our freedom, including freedom of the
press.
The U.S. military is the only force that defends your right
to publish this newspaper. To those who want to quit
fighting the terrorists in Iraq, where will you fight them?
You also quoted Edward R. Murrow praising the "loyal
opposition."
Who is this loyal opposition?
Is it Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nevada) who
said, "The Iraqi war is hopeless and the situation in Iraq is
thesame as it was in Vietnam?"
Maybe it's Rep. Jack Murtha (D-Pennsylvania) (a former
U.S. marine) who tried and convicted the Haditha marines
in the press by saying, "... they (marines) killed innocent
civilians in cold blood."
These are leaders of the new Democrat-controlled
Legislature who are too cowardly to introduce legislation to
cut off funding of battle in Iraq, but nonetheless attempt
repeatedly to insert timetables to usurp President Bush's
authority as commander in chief.
How about the scurrilous speeches made by some
Democrats like Rep. Tom Lantos prior to Gen. Petraeus'
report to Congress that appeared on TV? Along with that,
how about the infamous ad in the NewYork Times portray-
ing General Petraeus as "general betray us" by the left-wing
Moveon.org?
If these are examples of the loyal opposition, I'd hate to
see what treason looks like.
Now that the surge is working, it will be amusing to watch
the loyal opposition scramble to take credit for it.
In closing, here's another quote to consider: "War is an
ugly thing, but not the ugliest of things. The decayed and
degraded state of moral and patriotic feeling which thinks
nothing is worth war is much worse. The person who has
nothing for which he is willing to fight, nothing that is more
important than his own personal safety, is a miserable
creature and has no chance of being free unless made and
kept so 'by the exertions of better men than himself." John
Stewart Mill (1806-1873).

BY DONALD RODRIGUE
Staffwriter
As I gaze over my cup of
tea through a dreamy Vic-
torian window onto an
idyllic scene of green
graceful palms and sail-
boats afloat a tranquil bay,
I have to convince myself
that this is real and I've not
simply stepped into the
pages of someone's coffee
table book.
The magical sensation of
being on permanent vaca-
tion is not by accident, but
rather by the design of
David Tanzer and Petra-
Lee Thomas, the husband
and wife business team
and owners of A Day of
Delight Spa in the heart of
Stuart's Old Millionaires'
Row.
We're sitting in the Eng-
lish Victorian Room of the
Tea House, their newest
venture housed in an 1894
home built by merchant
seaman Walter Kitchins.
The couple traveled the
country visiting a variety
of tea houses in order to
combine the best of all of
them into what Mr. Tanzer
calls "Petra's Extreme Tea
House."
The Tea House lays just a
few gorgeous steps from
their first business on the
property, A Day of Delight
spa, and together the two
businesses offer guests an
experience and an escape

Going to the Dentist is like...

Going to the Movies!

Game Room Movies Digital X-Rays

Children's Play Area* Sterilization

Call us today to learn how you can host
your own show on MoneyWatch 1000

772-336-5597 |

from the mundane that's
like no other in Stuart or
anywhere else along the
Treasure Coast.
But Ms. Thomas' dream
of creating a unique magi-
cal world did not come
easily or quickly. Before
she ever opened the spa in
1997, the German native
who grew up in Connecti-
cut knew what she did not
want: the institutional and
strip-mall feel of ordinary
day spas.
What she did want was to
incorporate the European
sensation of individuality
and uniqueness, and one
other thing it had to be
on the water. When she
finally found the property
where the spa is located,
she said it was the house
that found her, rather than
the other way around.
"It was a magical
moment," she said. "Gravi-
ty was pulling me to this
section. You feel like you're
a million miles away here."
And whether you're sip-
ping on one of the 45 dif-
ferent blends of -tea in any
of the Tea House's three
unique environments -
Garden, Asian or English
Victorian or being mas-
saged and pampered in A
Day of Delight, you're
always pulled back to that
exquisite view of the St.
Lucie River.
That spectacular vista is
what sets A Day of Delight
apart from most other area
day spas and sets the tone
for those who visit.
"When people arrive,
whether by boat or car, it's
the first thing they feel,"
Ms. Thomas said. "As soon
as they step onto the prop-
erty, they already feel the
ambience and seclusion."
That special environ-
ment is what completes
the panorama of compre-
hensive restoration the
couple strives to provide.
"It's not just about physi-
cal maintenance," Mr.
Tanzer said. "It's about
mental maintenance as
well."
The lush grounds sur-
rounding, A Day of Delight
and the Tea House are
filled with mango and avo-
cado trees and herbs and
flowers, most of which are
utilized in the elegant cui-
sine and the luxurious spa
treatments;

In order to make A Day of
Delight an even more
relaxing experience for
guests, Ms. Thomas
designed each unique
treatment room to be able
to offer all spa services
except hair and nails,
something almost unheard
of in the industry.
"We didn't want to force
our guests to have to move
from room to room, just
when they're beginning to
get comfortable," she said.
The spa's extensive menu
of services includes a variety
of massages and body
wraps, intensified facials,
hair and. scalp treatments,
Champagne acrylic nails,,
painless waxing, permanent
makeup and much more.
There are even three distinct
couples' massage areas,
including one under a pavil-
ion overlooking the river.
Guests can choose from a
number of special spa
packages designed for
both men and women, as

well as purchase gift cer-
tificates for services, which
make a truly special pres-
ent now during the holi-
days.
Ms. Thomas strives to
share the European per-
spective on spa services
and body treatments,
which in the Old World are
not considered luxuries,
but rather a necessary part
of life, she explains. So she
offers regular guests a vari-
ety of spa memberships,
which provide discounts
on services, free admission
to special events and a 10
percent discount on spa
products.
A Day of Delight spa and
the Tea House are located
at 206 Atlanta Ave. just
southwest of the Roosevelt
Bridge in Stuart.
For more information or
to make an appointment
for spa services, call (772)
223-5540 or visit the Web
site at www.adayofde-
light.com.

-IAD VERTISING

(toll free) 877-257-0056

Plan your perfect escape at A Day of Delight

Mitch Kloorfain/chief photographer
Petra Lee Thomas stands at the crossroads between A Day
of Delight Spa and the Tea House along the St. Lucie River
at the base of the Roosevelt Bridge in Stuart.

Hurricane damage left this
house, the home of Robert
Johnson and his daughter,
Estia, uninhabitable three
years ago. The St. Lucie
County Housing Division
funded a new $135,000
home for the family.

Photo courtesy of St. Lucie
County Housing Division

After:

Robert Johnson and his
daughter, Estia, stand at
the door of their new
house on 4706 El Nueva
Ave. in Fort Pierce. The
pair lost their home to
hurricanes three years ago,
but got a new one last
week from the St. Lucie
County Housing Division.

Photo courtesy of St. Lucie
County Housing Division

House
From page Al

and lack of air conditioning.
It was the latest hardship
for the young girl, whose
mother, Eire Mae Johnson,
died of congestive heart fail-
ure, a relative said.
At his wits' end, Mr. John-
son sought help from coun-
ty officials in the weeks that
followed the destruction of
his house.
He was one of only a hand-
ful of residents to come for-
ward for assistance, Mr.
Franklin said.
"We want to help, but we
haven't had a very good
response from the public,"
he said.
It's unclear why residents
have passed up the oppor-
tunity.
"My best guess is that peo-
ple who went though the
hurricanes have been dam-
aged and are exhausted,"
Mr. Franklin said.
Coming forward had paid
off for the Johnsons.

The department built a
$135,000 house on the site
of the family's old home.
The two-bedroom house
features new appliances, a
pantry, carpeting ,and 'a
laundry room with a washer
and dryer.
"I like this," Mr. Johnson
said last week when he
received the keys to his new
home. "I'm so happy."
Estia, who turns 13 in
three months, was excited
about returning.
"We've got the boxes in the
van," she said. "We're ready
to move in today."
The county's involvement
went far beyond demolish-
ing and rebuilding the John-
son house.
During the construction,
county staff helped find a
home for Mr. Johnson and
Estia.
The housing division paid
the $750 monthly rent, while
the family covered the cost

of utilities.
"We are looking for a lot of
families to help," Mr.
Franklin said.
The county offers assis-
tance to, families whose,
homes were damaged in the
storm or who need help
complying with building
codes.
The housing division
signed 10 contracts in the
last two weeks of December
to rehabilitate properties
and bring them up to code.
It also signed deals to
demolish and rebuild eight
other properties that are
beyond repair, he said.
The staff also performed
site visits in recent weeks on
20 potential projects.

Mr. Franklin wouldn't
specify how much money
was available for such proj-
ects, but he described the
sum as "a lot."
"We are looking for a lot of
families to, help," Mr.
Franklin said.
County Commissioner
Joseph Smith applauded the
division's effort.
The county funded the
housing for the Johnsons
and other similar projects.
In the last five years, it has
built 49 homes, including
nine last year with Habitat
for Humanity.
"Seeing them cross the
threshold that's what it's
all about," he said about Mr.
Johnson and Estia.

Peggy Inez
presents..THE GULLY

Un-revised First Edition Available
Now Available At:
Amazon.corn on 12/27/07
(ISBN# 978-159858-400-4 $10.95)
Author Recommends "The Gully"
For the 7 to 12 Year Old Reader!
An Exciting, Loving, Beautiful Story
That Will Live Forever!
Memorable Family Reading!
Second Revised Edition being
published March of 20081
Get your valuable first edition
now! Enter the contest in the
belly of The Gully, that can assist
iri the future Education of those
entering! Hundreds of Dollars in
US Savings Bonds to be Awarded!
Get your uncorrected first edition
of "The Gully" Today!
Can Be Ordered at Local Bookstores

Ask The Jeweler
GOLD PRICES SOAR
You've been reading my col-
umn for 5 years now, and I've
decided to work on the format. I
will continue to write about inter-
esting facts on gemstones,
pearls etc., but I will also add
some information on the metals
market and trends in the jewelry
industry.
As many of you know and
see daily, the gold market has
soared towards the $800 per
ounce mark, pushing its all time
high of $850 per ounce in
January of 1980. The price of
gold has increased $190.00 in
the past 12 months, that's an
amazing 32% increase!
Most experts agree that gold
prices will continue to rise. How
does this affect you, the con-
sumer? The chain stores contin-
ually re-price, therefore you can
expect to find prices for jewelry
almost anywhere at an all time
high. Independent jewelers will
have to.follow suit.
In my business we buy and
sell large amounts of scrap gold
daily, both from you the con-
sumer, and from other jewelry
stores. A trend I have seen in a
lot of smaller retailers is that
they are "scrapping" much of
their inventory because the
value of the gold is so high.
Because we scrap so .much
gold, we can and do sell jewelry,
at prices that are often close to
the scrap gold price and far
below retail prices.
You can also benefit from the
high gold prices by selling your
unwanted gold jewelry and your
scrap gold. St Lucie Jewelry
also trades in Gold, Silver,
Platinum and bullion for a small
commission. As of the writing of
this column the prices are still
moving up....
Questions?
Write, call, fax or email
Hawk@St.LucieJewelry
9168 South US 1,
Port St. Lucie, FL 34952
or 2840 NW Federal Hwy
Jensen Beach, FL 34952
(772) 692-9585,- (772) 337-4700,
fax 337-0580,
hawk@netgems.com

COVERAGE,
Receive discounts for multiple policies and coverage
for all types of riders and motorcycles at Nationwide!

Post Insurance & Financial, Inc.
878-8184
St. Lucie West
KathernePost.Agen y@NWagent.com NaX ido ldeWi
On Your Side
Call me today for a quote. Auto Home Life Business

Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company and Affiliated Companies. Life insurance issued by Nationwide Ufe In""rance
Company. Home Office Columbus, Ohio 43215-2220. Nationwide, the Nationwide Framemark and On Your Side are
federallyregistered service marks ofNatlionwideMutuallnsuranceCompany.

West Gate K-8 fourth-
grade teacher Kelly Mogle
attempts the perfect swirl
for one of the school's
students during Celebrity
Night at Carvel in St. Lucie
West Monday, Dec. 10.
Proceeds from the ice
cream sales benefit the
school's programs. Prior to
the event, Carvel represen-
tatives came to the school,
and, with the help of the
students, concocted a
brand-new flavor, West
Gate Snowy Mountain.

Mitch Kloorfain
chief photographer
West Gate K-8 fourth-
grader Erica Lundgren
shows off the newest
flavor, West Gate Snowy
Mountain, at Carvel in St.
Lucie West during Celebri-
ty Night.

TYPES OF VISITS
Preventive and acute visits for children and adults
School and sports physicals' and immunizations
Gynecological exams, contraception and hormone therapy management of
chronic diseases
On-line medical visits for established patients
SICK CHILDREN ALWAYS WELCOME AS WALK-INS
DOT and Immigration Physical
SERVICES
Immunizations including vaccines for children's programs
EKG and nebulizer treatment
Minor laceration and suture removal
9'Minor skin biopsies and treatment
Flu Shots Now Available for Adults and Children
SAME DAY APPOINTMENTS AVAILABLE

, ATTENTION EMPLOYERS!
If you are having trouble filling your current positions...

HometoWnNeWS is here to help you!
Call Hometown News Classified TODAY

Cash

From page Al
Lucie attorney, donated
$2,300 to the Clinton cam-
paign. But she also volun-
teered her time. During
the run-up to the Iowa
caucuses, Ms. Simmons
planned to travel to the
Hawkeye State and man
phone banks for her cho-
sen candidate.
"We need experience
coupled with change to get
us to where we need to
go," Ms. Simmons said.
"This country is in a mess.
I look at our economy and
our morale and I see that
we need someone who' is
strong and really cares."
Republican Rudy Giu-
liani, who topped national
.GOP polls for much of
2007, impressed Port St.
Lucie resident Judie Bud-
nick with his efforts to cut
crime in New York City,
where Mr. Giuliani served
two terms as mayor.
"It's not that my husband
and I are ardent," said Mrs.
Budnick, a retired Broward
County School Board
member. "We really pick
the person that we think
can make the biggest dif-
ference in the shortest
amount of time."
During the first nine
months of 2007, Mr. Giu-
liani netted about $72,000
from Treasure Coast
donors, including $1,000
from Mrs. Budnick, who
was planning a private
fundraiser with the candi-
date at her home.
"The mayor has strong
administrative leadership,
decisiveness, a real bal-
ance between business
and public service," she
said. "New York City as an
entity is larger in popula-
tion and budget than most
of the countries of the
world and Frank Sinatra
wasn't wrong when he
said, 'If you can make it
there you can make it any-
where."'
Mr. Giuliani also impressed
Mrs. Budnick and other local
donors with his conduct fol-
lowing the Sept. 11, 2001,
terrorist attacks.
"Terrorism is something
we always think about,"
she said. "It must be a safe
environment for our chil-
dren and I think he has the
credentials to get us

there."
Ralph Sexton, a Vero
Beach cattle rancher
donated $1,100 to the for-
mer New York City mayor's
presidential campaign.
"The war on terrorism is
the biggest challenge we
have and we'd better
win it," Mr. Sexton said:
Despite the long cam-
paign season, voters are
paying attention to presi-
dential candidates, local
political activists said.
"Normally you hear that
people in one party or the
other are disappointed
with candidates, but I'm
not hearing that among
Democrats this time
around," said Steven
Willis, a state committee-
man with the Indian River
County Democratic Party.
Carole Jean Jordan of
Vero Beach, the immediate
past chairwoman of the
Florida Republican Party,
said the large GOP field
was keeping voters inter-
ested.
"It's been a long time
since we've had such a
plethora of Republican
candidates," Mrs. Jordan
said.
Candidates have also tar-
geted the Treasure Coast
for votes, stumping here or
sending family members
to campaign.
In April, Mr. Obama
hosted a private fundraiser
at a barrier island Vefo
Beach home. Democrat
Mike Gravel brought his
long-shot presidential bid
to Vero Beach in October.
Ann Romney, wife of
Republican presidential
hopeful Mitt Romney,
hosted a Vero Beach cam-
paign fundraiser last
month. Two of their sons,
Tagg and Craig, also
stumped for their father in
Indian River County.
For Ms. Simmons, the
Port St. Lucie attorney,
meeting Mrs. Clinton
helped bring her on board.
"She's not.perfect, but
when I look at the field I
think she's the best in the
field of where we need to
go,", Ms. Simmons said.
"We have some tremen-
dous candidates, but I
believe she is the one we
need in office."

Giuliani to attend
fundraiser at Port
St. Lucie home
PORT ST. LUCIE Judie
Budnik, a former Broward
County school board mem-
ber who is now retired,
remembers what it was like
to run a campaign.
"I was always grateful for
the support that I got dur-
ing my candidacies, and I
know, whether we face it or
not, it's a way to get the
message out," said Mrs.
Budnik, who now lives in
Port St. Lucie with her hus-
band.
The "it" she is speaking
about is fundraising, and
she and her husband, sup-
porters of Republican can-
didate Rudolph Giuliani,
plan to host a fundraiser on
his behalf, with a $1,000
minimum contribution
from those attending.
Mr. Giuliani is expected to
attend the event.
The fundraiser was origi-
nally expected to be at the
end of January, but Mrs.
Budnik said it may be
moved to Jan. 12.
STo attend, e-mail Mrs.
Budnick at judiesbud-
nick@yahoo.com before
Jan. 12.

Hotel
From page Al
corridor. The whole west side
is being geared for office
buildings and, hopefully, a
large biotech area," he said..
"The goal is to create jobs."
The new hotel is expected to
create approximately 100 jobs
during its construction phase
and 70 to 85 full- and part-
time employees once the
hotel and restaurants are
complete.
The hotel will be located on
a site next to the Florida Cen-
ter for Innovation at Tradition
that will be the home ofTorrey
Pines Institute for Molecular
Studies.
Construction is expected to
begin in the spring of 2008, to
be completed a year later.
Homewood Suites by Hilton
is described as an upscale

hotel with extended-stay
facilities. An' all-suite hotel, it
will include spacious living
areas, fully equipped kitchens
and separate work areas.
"Homewood Suites by
Hilton is an ideal partner for
us as we continue to add to
the amenities Tradition offers
residents .and visitors," said
Shawn Reilly, vice president of
marketing for Core Commu-
nities in a statement.
BBL Development Group is
a real estate development and
property management firm
based in Albany, N.Y.
"We are excited about the
popularity Tradition is experi-
encing in one of Florida's
fastest growing communities.

pas are not just for the
seemingly spoiled
anymore.
The origin of the word spa
has been debated over the
centuries, but what we know
is that it dates back to the
Roman era where soldiers
returning from wars, would
take to rejuvenation,
relaxation and treatment of
wounds through water.
Some say it is an acronym
for the Latin phrase sanitus
per aqua (health through
water). Others believe it
originated in the Belgium
town of Spa, which rose to

Johnny Mathis-Kravis Center

Jensen Beach Travel
"All Your TrAnnual Consumnder Trade Showla

Ladies Get Together
To Go Together
January 8, 2008
Gulfstream Park & Casino

fame in the 14th century
when a thermal spring was
discovered there.
Either way, the ancient spa
has evolved to be an umbrel-
la term describing places
and experiences that people
would seek for renewal of
body, mind and spirit.
The new spa offers ancient
therapies from all over the
world in wellness and
preventive treatments, as
well as beauty enhance-
ments.
Spas are offered by
category: medical, detox,
weight-loss, organic, day,'
golf, boutique, destination,
romantic, vegetarian, single,
couples, etc. These range
from luxury to affordable.
There is something for
everyone and every ailment.
Whatever your interest, there
will probably be a spa
somewhere in the world that
caters to it.
Although just about all
cruise lines offer spa services
aboard (some are more
luxurious than others), Costa

PATTY TOPPA
Travel columnist

Cruises' newest vessels, the
Costa Concordia and Costa
Serena, offer a new style of
cruising with the ultra luxury
Samsara Spa that features
exclusive accommodations
that provide guests with a
complete wellness getaway.
The staterooms, although no
larger than their counter-
parts, offer Samsara Spa
products and a flat- screen
TV
Costa's guests who sail in
spa accommodations will

enjoy unlimited access to
spa accommodations, a
personalized wellness
consultation, tea ceremony
in the Samara Spa, two
complimentary treatments,
two complimentary fitness
or meditation classes, two
sun tanning sessions in the
solarium, and complimenta-
ry access to the Ristorante
Samsara, exclusively
reserved for guests with
Samsara accommodations.
This is a very different
experience from conven-
tional cruising.
The Costa Concordia
(2006) and the Costa Serena
(2007) are sister vessels
weighing in at 112,000 tons
and have a capacity of 3,000
passengers each. They sail
year round on Eastern and
Western Mediterranean
itineraries that include
ports-of-call in Italy, Greece,
Turkey and Croatia.
As with most cruises,
Costa has something for
everyone. With the intro-
duction of the Samsara Spa

experience, it has brought
yet another level to cruising.
Those who book one of the
55 Samsara cabins or 12
Samsara suites with direct
access to the two-deck
facility receive a "Welcome
Ritual" package which
includes an invitation to a
relaxing tea ceremony, a
personalized consultation, a
choice of two spa, two fitness
or meditation lessons, two
tanning sessions, unlimited
use of in-spa perks, such as
the thalassotherapy pool,
and a reserved table in the
Samsara Restaurant.
The vessels also sport
single staterooms (12 inside
only) for solo travelers,
something that is very much
needed in the cruise indus-
try. There are very few (if
any) single staterooms on.
most cruise ships. Many
times, travelers who want to
travel alone have to pay 200
percent of the stateroom
cost. This will certainly be a
welcomed change.
Costa Cruises began as a

freight line that introduced
its first North American
cruise ship, the Costa
Riviera, in 1985. This
launched the "Cruising
Italian Style" theme. The line
became a fully owned
subsidiary of Carnival in
2000. The cruise line has a
very European flare to both
its d6cor and cuisine. Art and
architecture are an impor-
tant part of the Costa
experience, and all ships
feature millions in original
artwork and handcrafted
furnishings. The itineraries
are generally port intensive
and few at sea days.
Costa is celebrating its 60th
anniversary this year and is
offering 40 to 55 percent off
Europe sailings on these
vessels for a limited time.
Reserve early for best rates
and availability.

Patty Toppa is a travel
consultant with Gadabout
Travel. She can be reached at
(321) 253-3674 and
patty@cruisetraveltours.com.

Water
From page A2

Provided funding support
for more than 40 local habitat'
restoration and water quality
improvement projects total-
ing $45 million in invest-
ments, including St. Lucie
Estuary, Indian River Lagoon
and Loxahatchee River initia-
tives.

Completed the Naples Bay
Surface Water Improvement
and Management Plan to
improve stormwater runoff
quality.
Partnered with the local
water control district to com-
plete the Hams Marsh sedi-
ment removal and vegetation
planting project located at the
headwaters of the Orange
River, a tributary to the
Caloosahatchee River.
Continued to assist with
water quality clean up and
flood mitigation dredging in
the Miami River.
Restoring the Kissimmee
River and Basin:
Completed the draft scien-
tific and technical basis for the
Kissimmee Chain-of-Lakes
Long-Term Management
plan.
Developed and calibrated
the operational model of the
Kissimmee watershed.

The U.S. Army Corps of
Engineers backfilled two
additional miles of channel-
ized Kissimmee canal, total-
ing 9.5 miles backfilled to
date. This phase of the project
reconnected four additional
miles of historic river channel
and allows for the re-inunda-
tion of an additional 500 acres
of floodplain.
Meeting and Balancing
Water Supply Demands:
Supported 52 alternative
water supply projects through
the District's Alternative Water
Supply grant program, creat-
ing 35 million gallons of new
water per day.
Provided $400,000 in
grants to support 17 local
water conservation retrofit
projects through the District's
Water Savings Incentive Pro-
,gram (Water SIP). These proj-
ects will result in water sav-
ings of 311 million gallons per

year.
Adopted the first-of-its-
kind Regional Water Availabil-
ity Rule. Utilities can no longer
expect to meet future
demands by tapping the Ever-
glades or Loxahatchee River
and must pursue alternative
sources.
Continued implementing
an aggressive water use per-
mit renewal schedule.
Issued a 20-year permit to
Miami-Dade County Water
and Sewer Department struc-
tured to increase reliance on
alternative water supply
sources to serve the county's
projected growth.
Completed and began uti-
lizing the South Florida
Regional Simulation Model,
an important tool designed to
predict the effects of physical
and operational decisions on
water management activities.
Refurbishing the Central
and Southern Florida Project
Conducted around-the-
clock monitoring, operation
and maintenance of more

than 1,900 miles of canals and
levees, and hundreds of water
control structures across cen-
tral and southern Florida.
Keeping this system at peak
operating levels is crucial for
meeting regional flood pro-
tection needs.
Completed 41 capital proj-
ects, including structure
repair and refurbishing, canal
dredging, bank erosion repair
and hurricane hardening.
Commitment to open gov-
ernment and public involve-
ment:
The -District's Water
Resources Advisory Commis-
sion hosted the first-ever
"Water Summit" to explore
short-term water manage-
ment challenges. This public
forum had a particular focus
on the constraints and limits
regarding Lake Okeechobee
operations and water levels.
TheWRAC also convened a
public "Water Conservation
Summit" and continuing
stakeholder input process to
develop a comprehensive and

very newspaper,
magazine and televi-
sion station is focusing
on starting the year off right
with diet and exercise.
This year, through
January, I'm going to write
about eating better, getting
some exercise and stopping
smoking. I think these
probably top most people's
resolution hit parade. I'm
going to talk about some-
thing I call "The Power of
One." This means making a
small change, instead of
trying to overhaul your
entire lifestyle at once. That
effort, foremost of us, is
doomed to failure.
The American Heart
Association recommends
healthy eating (not dieting)
and a healthy lifestyle as the
keys to fighting heart
disease. The changes and
suggestions they make fit
easily into the idea of The
Power of One. You can make
little changes, even one at a
time, to find yourself eating
better.
One proviso: talk to your
doctor before changing your
diet, especially if you have
an illness, take medications
or are pregnant or nursing.
Following are the three
major recommendations
they make.
*'Use up at least as many
calories as you take in
Start paying attention to
labels and portion size and
increase your activity level
in small amounts at first. I'll
have more on exercise next
week.
Eat a variety of nutri-
tious foods from all food
groups
You may be eating plenty
of food, but not giving your
body the nutrients it needs,
Nutrient-rich foods have
vitamins, minerals, fiber and
other things that are good
for you, but are lower in
calories. Choose foods such
as fruits and vegetables,
whole grains and fat-free or
low-fat dairy products. Eat
fish, such as salmon, trout
and other fish containing
omega-3 fatty acids, at least
twice a week unless advised
otherwise by your physician.
Eat less of nutrient-poor
foods
You can get your daily
calorie allotment any-
where from 1,500-2,000
calories a day, depending on
age, height, gender and
other factors from one
meal at McDonald's, but
that doesn't mean it's good
for you.
Limit foods that are high
in calories, but low in
nutritional value and limit
the amount of saturated and
trans-fats, cholesterol and
sodium you eat. Read the

Hotel
From page A 11
The Homewood Suites prop-
erty will enhance the town's
mission by providing high-
end hospitality and lodging,
attracting residents, travelers
and local businesses alike,"
said Donald Led Duke, presi-
dent of BBL.
Councilman Cooper said
other hotels may be planned
for the area in the future, as
the city continues to develop.
"We will probably see
another large hotel down
toward Becker and 1-95 as the
mall gets underway" he said.
"We've done a lot of plan-
ning for road networks and
future fire stations. I would
call it a master-planned com-
munity and we're trying to lay
out future sites for things like
schools. I see the area as hav-
ing a West Palm feeling, with
shopping and a gated-com-

SHELLEY KOPPEL
Alive and Well
labels and talk to your
health care provider.
These are some general
suggestions for better
eating. Here are some
specifics to allow you to start
with small changes.
Choose leans meats and
poultry without skin and
prepare them without added
saturated and trans-fats.
Select dairy products
that are fat free, 1 percent fat
or low fat
Cut back on foods with
partially hydrogenated
vegetable oils; that includes
most packaged desserts,
cookies and a lot of bakery
products
Try to cut back your daily
cholesterol intake to less
than 300 milligrams a day, or
as advised by your doctor.
Check the labels.
Cut back on soft drinks
with added sugar. These are
truly empty calories.
Choose and prepare
foods with little or no salt.
Aim to eat less than 2,300
milligrams of salt per day.
Experiment with herbs and
spices to flavor your food.
If you drink, do so in
moderation. That means-
one drink a day for women
and two for men if your
doctor says that's OK.
Remember, beer counts as a
drink.
Keep your eye on portion
size. Use a smaller plate and
you'll eat less. Fill up on
vegetables and make the
meat the smallest part of the
meal.
All of us could make a few
changes in the way we eat,
and many of these could be
done without a lot of drastic
changes to the diet.
Start small. Add a piece of
fruit with breakfast or lunch
and have it in place of a fat-
filled snack. Buy bread and
cereal that says whole grain
and look for ones without
added sugar. Give it flavor
with fruit on top.
At a restaurant, set aside
half your entr6e and take it
home. Most restaurants
serve bigger portions than
most of us need.
If you make small changes
and start to notice that your
slacks feel looser and you

munity feel," said Mr. Cooper.
Some of the business own-
ers in Tradition are also excit-
ed about the upcoming hotel,
and the additional clientele
the facility may bring,
'As the first business to.
open in Tradition Square, we
are very excited to see the
positive growth in the com-
munity," said Gina Grothe,
co-owner of the Sanctuary
Spa at Tradition. "The grand
opening of The Landings, the
future of Torrey Pines and
now Homewood Suites offers
new opportunities for all of
the businesses here at Tradi-
tion. We hope to network with
Hilton to provide in-room
massages for the stressed
travelers. At The Sanctuary
Spa we strive to give clients a
relaxing escape from every-
day tension."

IY I MEAN

Whatever the occasion, we have it all.
WE HAVE OVER 1800 RENTAL COSTUMES, m
MAKEUP WIGS, AND ACCESSORIES

0PAROWN USA

PA 6829 S.US 1, Port St. Lucie s
(772)465-5255

feel better, or your doctor
tells you that your blood
pressure is down, you'll be
encouraged to keep making
those changes.
Don't get discouraged.
For information about the
American Heart Associa-
tion's recommendations
visit
www.Americanheart.org or
call (800) 242-8721 to
request a free brochure.
Shelley Koppel is the
former editor of "Today's
HealthCare" magazine and a
member of the National
Association of Science
Writers. Send questions by e-
mail to
skoppel@bellsouth.net.

I
I
I
I
I
I

GIFT CERTIFICATES NOWJ AVAILABLE

ONEHOU tiSRG

0 0 1,

KEISER UNIVERSITY

MASSAGE CLINIC
I MARKET PLACE PLAZA 10330 S. US 1 PSL, FL

L ----- - -l ----- -* M- M

TELL 'EMT I Hometown News

Resources, LLC

services to

patients on the

Treasure Coast since 2000.

Medical Resources, LLC has partnered with the
following insurance companies to provide medical
services to the community.

Dorothy A. (Cassidy)
LaParl, 73, of Port St. Lucie,
died Dec. 22, 2007, at Trea-
sure Coast Hospices in Fort
Pierce.
She was born in Troy, N.Y.
and was a resident of Port St.
Lucie 27 years.
She was preceded in death
by her parents, James and
Dorothy (Riley) Cassidy; her
husband of 52 years,
Richard LaParl Sr.; and her
son, Bryan LaParl.
She is survived by a son,
Richard LaParl Jr. of Port St.
Lucie; three sisters, Helen
Tedessco of E. Greenbush,
N.Y, Lillian Rosenberger of
Troy, NY., and Ruth Donlon
of Orlando; two grandsons
and two great-grandchil-
dren
Memorial donations may
be made to Treasure Coast
Hospices, 1201S.E. Indian
Street, Stuart, FL 34997.
Arrangements were han-
dled by All County Funeral
Home & Crematory Treasure
Coast Chapel.

Joann A Poissonier

Joann A Poissonier, 61, of
Port St. Lucie, died Dec. 19,
2007, at St. Lucie Medical
Center in Port St. Lucie.
She was born in-New
Britain, Conn., and was a
resident of Port St. Lucie for
five years, coming from East
Hartford, Conn.
She was preceded in death
by her parents, Joseph and
Mary (Bergeron) Bandas.
She is survived by two
daughters, Darlene (Pois-
sonier) Rivera and April
Poissonier, both of Port St .
Lucie; a son, Gene Pois-
sonier of Port St. Lucie; a sis-
ter, Mary Gagnon of Meri-
dan, Conn.; a brother,
Joseph Bandas of New
Britain, Conn.; six grand-
children and one great-
grandchild.
Arrangements were han-
dled by All County Funeral
Home & Crematory Treasure
Coast Chapel.

Verinder (Vern)
Kapoor

Verinder (Vern) Kapoor,
75, of Port St. Lucie, died

Dec. 22, 2007, at Lawnwood
Medical Center in Fort
Pierce.
He had been a resident of
Port St. Lucie since 1998,
coming from Rockville,
Conn., where he lived for 30
years.
He is survived by a son,
Vijay Kapoor; and family
members in Winter Springs
and India.
Local arrangements were
handled by Yates Funeral.
Home & Crematory Port St.
Lucie

Brenda Ann
'Sammy' Lint

BrendaAnn "Sammy" Lint,
38, died Dec. 6, 2007, at her
residence in Port St. Lucie.
She was born in Quincy,
Mass., and lived in Port St.
Lucie since 1987, coming
from Quincy, Mass.
She was a member of Saint
Lucie Catholic Church.
She is survived by a daugh-
ter, Chanel Mardis of Port St.
Lucie; mother and step-
father, Gayle and Robert
McNeice; two sisters, Carol
Ann Gillis of Pembroke,
Mass., and Deborah Ann
Rusnak of Port St. Lucie; and
nieces and nephews.
She was preceded in death
by her father, Raymond A.
Lint.
Yates Funeral Home and
Crematory, Port St. Ltcie,
was in charge of the arrange-
ments.

Esther Marion
Scherber

Esther Marion Scherber,.
64,, of Port St. Lucie, died
Dec. 15, 2007, at Treasure
Coast Hospices in Fort
Pierce.
She was born in Derby,
Conn., and was a resident of
Port St. Lucie for seven
years, coming from Pem-
broke Pines.
She is survived by her hus-
band of two years, Michael
Ossipoff; three daughters,
Danae Cardona, of Port St.
Lucie, Winnie Vaccariello of
Thornwood, N.Y., and Dawn
Kennett of Huntersville,
N.C.; a son, David Scherber
of Fort Lauderdale; her
mother, Bernadena Coppola
of Derby, Cobnn., a brother;
Robert Coppola of

PERMANENT MAKEUP
"Always Perfect"

EYEBROWS EYELINER FULL LIPS

,s Linda "Lady Fish" Frank
13 YEARS AT THE SAME LOCATION
WITH 29 YEARS EXPERIENCE
SPECIAL SPRUCE UP PRICES FOR PREVIOUS
CUSTOMERS.

897A NE Prima Vista Blvd.
Corner of US1, Port St. Lucie

871-2586
www.alwaysperfect.com

JAY'S

J'Ki *ewy anda WA& 4m9

Sun 10-3

Hawthorne; seven grand-
children and two great-
grandchildren.
She was preceded in death
by her first husband Daniel
M. Scherber; and father
Mario Coppola.
Memorial donations may
be made to Treasure Coast
Hospices, 1201 S.E. Indian
St., Stuart, FL 34997.
Arrangements were han-
dled by All County Funeral
Home & Crematory Treasure
Coast Chapel, 1010. N.W.
Federal Highway, Stuart.

Cynthia A. Gayle

Cynthia A. Gayle, 53, of
Port St. Lucie, died Dec. 10,
2007, at St. Lucie Medical
Center, in Port St. Lucie.
She was born in Jamaica,
and had been a resident of
Port St. Lucie for the past
five years, coming from
Hartford, Conn.
She was a nursing assis-
tant and worked at Isabella
Nursing Center in New York
for 12 years.
She was a member of the
Seventh Day Adventist faith.
She is survived by two
sons, Christopher Patterson
of Windsor Locks, Conn.,
and Roy Gayle of Port St.
Lucie; two daughters, Janice
Yates-Douglas and Lorrian
Yates, both of Port St. Lucie;
mother, Bernice Bennett of
Ocala; two grandchildren,
Kamrin Costly and Madison
Wright, both of Port St.
Lucie; two sisters, Inez John-
son and Teletha McKenzie,
both of Ocala; a borther,
Kenneth McKenzie of Bronx,
N.Y.; and numerous nieces
and nephews.
Burial was in Hillcrest
Memorial Gardens in Fort
Pierce.

Eugene G. Diakoff

Eugene G. Diakoff, 85, of
Port St. Lucie, died Dec. 18,
2007, at Lawnwood
Regional Medical Center.
He was born in Cam-
bridge, Mass., and moved
to Port St. Lucie 18 years
ago, coming from Stam-
ford, Conn.
He was a veteran of
World War II, having
served with the U.S. Army
and was an avid golfer.
He is survived by his
wife, Dicksie Hoyt-Diakoff
of Port St. Lticie; a son,
Michael Diakoff of
Knoxville, Tenn.; two
grandchildren; two sisters,
Valentina Geiger of Flush-
ing, N.Y, and Zoe Scholl of
Melville, N.Y.
He was preceded in
death by his first wife,
Edith Diakoff.
Yates Funeral Home and
Crematory, in Port St.
Lucie, was in charge of the
arrangements.

Elizabeth'Betty'
W. Allan

Elizabeth "Betty" W.
Allan 82, of Port St. Lucie,
died Dec. 16, 2007, at St.
Lucie Medical Center in
Port St. Lucie.
She was born in Brook-
lyn, N.Y. and had been a
resident of Port St. Lucie

since 1979, coming from
Bethlemem, Pa.
She was a junior
accountant for Kiplinger
Financial in Washington,
D.C. for six years.
She was a member of the
First Congregational
Church of Port St. Lucie.
She was preceded in
death by her husband,
Gordon J. Allan.
She is survived by a son,
Glenn E. Allan of Bethle-
hem, Pa., a daughter,
Jeanie L. Allan of Double
Springs, Ala., and two
grandchildren.
Memorial contributions
may be made to the Ameri-
can Heart Association,
1111 S. Federal Highway,
Suite 110, Stuart, FL 34994.
Aycock Funeral Home, in
Port St. Lucie, was in
charge of arrangements.

Harold F. Davis

Harold E Davis, 89, of
Port St. Lucie, died Dec. 17,
2007, at the Life Care Cen-
ter of Port St. Lucie.
He was born in Madison,
N.Y. and had been a resi-
dent of Port St. Lucie for
the past 15 years, coming
from Trenton, N.J.
He was a traffic control
manager with Agway for 40
years in Bordentown, N.J.,
and was a member of the
Masonic Lodge.
He is survived by two
sons, Brian E Davis of Bris-
tol, Va., and Brent R. Davis
of Cherry Hill, N.J.; a
grandson; a great grand-
son; and two brothers,
Bernard Davis of
Bouckville, N.Y., and
Richard Davis of Schenec-
tady, N.Y.
Saul Colonial Funeral
Home was in charge of
arrangements.

Paul Rosenthal

Paul Rosenthal, 79, of
Port St. Lucie, died Decem-
ber 16, 2007, at St. Lucie
Medical Center in Port St.
Lucie.
He was born in New York
City, N.Y. and was a resi-
dent of Port St. Lucie for
eight years, coming from
Dallas.
He was preceded in
death by his parents, Jacob
and Miriam (Kaye) Rosen-
thai.
He is survived by his lov-
ing wife of 59 years, Bar-
bara (Gingold) Rosenthal,
of Port St Lucie, a daugh-
ter, Melissa Lawrence of .St.
Louis, Mo.; two sons, JT
Rosenthal. of Jacksonville,
and Lloyd Rosentha of
Houston; and a sister, Lee
Conway of Palm Springs,
Calif.
Donations may be made
to the Salvation Army 901
Johnson Avenue Stuart, FL
34994
Arrangements were han-
dled by All County Funeral
Home & Crematory Trea-
sure Coast Chapel, 1010
N.W. Federal Highway, in
Stuart.

For Hometown News

C

Community Calendar

FRIDAY, JAN. 4

Soul Rebel appears at
Friday Fest in downtown
Fort Pierce from 5-8 p.m.
The Oxbow's "Nature At
Night" returns Friday, from
6:30 8:30 p.m. with an "Owl
Prowl." The cost is $3 per
participant. Reservations
and pre-payment is
required.

FRIDAY, JAN. 4, TO
SATURDAY, JAN. 5

The Professional Bull
Riders are coming to Fort
Pierce on Jan. 4 5, starting
at 8 p.m., at the St. Lucie
County Fair and Equestrian
Center. Gates open both Fri-
day and Saturday at 5 p.m.
Opening ceremonies at 8
p.m. Tickets are $12 general
admission $18 in advance
$20 at the gate for reserved
seating $30 VIP reserved
seating including preferred
parking and for $100 floor
seating. Call (772) 643-2742
for details.
Registration at Sports-
man's Park, Port St. Lucie
National Little League is
having registration Jan. 5,
from 10 a.m.-4 p.m., and
Jan. 5, from 11 a.m.-3 p.m.
The cost is $85.

SATURDAY, JAN. 5

Baseball clinic, Port St.
Lucie Baseball will host a
clinic with professional
instructors on Saturday, Jan.
5, from 10 a.m. 2 p.m. at
Langford Park, 2369 N.E.
Dixie Highway, in Jensen
Beach.
This clinic is open to all
boys ages 8 to 18.
Lunch will be provided.
All participants must bring
their own equipment. Cost
is $75 for non-members and
$65 for members. Registra-
tion is available online at
www.pslbaseball. com.
For more information, call
(772)201-7246.

call (888) 652-9257 for
details and reservations.
Keep a sharp lookout for
nianatees as you enjoy a
peaceful paddle in these
gentle waters. Enjoy viewing
the diverse wildlife of the
Indian River Lagoon.

SUNDAY, JAN. 6
Slammin' Eagles, Tryouts
will be held on Jan. 6, from
10 a.m. 1 p.m. at Lyngate
Park in Port St. Lucie for the
under 11-travel baseball
team. For more information,
call (772) 408-7533.
Trader Canoe Trip, 10
a.m.-1 p.m., $20 adults, $15
children (3-16), call (888)
652-9257 for details and
reservations. These large,
multi-passenger canoes can
accommodate several pas-
sengers, so bring friends and
family along and let experi-
enced guides do the pad-
dling. Sit back and relax
while you enjoy the magnifi-
cent beauty of the Indian
River Lagoon.

ONGOING EVENTS

Bird Watching Cruise:
See several hundred nesting
birds on the bird cruise at 4
p.m. each Wednesday. The
boat leaves from Rivergate
Park, 2200 S.E. Midport
Road, in Port St. Lucie. Pri-
vate charters are also avail-
able. Reservations are
required. For information,
call (772) 489-8344.
Classic car night is
every Wednesday from 7 to
9 p.m., at Sundae's Ice
Cream Shoppe, 2832 S.W.
Port St. Lucie Blvd., in Port
St. Lucie. For information,
call (772) 873-5678.
*Community Garage
Sale: Held the third Satur-
day of every month in the
Minsky Gym parking lot.
Find a bargain or for $5.85
per parking space be a ven-
dor and unload all of your
unwanted treasures. So go
ahead and clean out your
garages. Sorry, there will be
no telephone registrations.
Call Demetris at (772) 344-
4300
Eco-Cruise: See alliga-
tors, turtles and birds on
the St. Lucie River Aquatic
Preserve. The 90-minute
cruise departs at 1 p.m.
Cost is $18.78 for adults and

$15 for children. The boat
leaves from River Park
Marina, 500 S.E. PrimaVista
Blvd., in Port St. Lucie. For
information, call (772) 489-
8344.
Family Night Live: Live
music, drama, and buffet at
Morningside Church, 2180
Morningside Blvd. First Fri-
day of the month at 6:30
p.m. Free. (772) 335-5166
ext. 131.
Florida Power & Light
Energy Encounter: Tours of
Florida Power & Light are
from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sun-
day through Friday. The
center at 6501 South A1A,
Hutchinson Island, in Fort
Pierce and has more than
30 interactive displays
about energy, nuclear
power and electricity.
Admission is free; reserva-
tions required for groups of
10 or more. For informa-
tion, call (772) 468-4111 or
(877) FPL-4FUN.
Friday night Pizza Jam:
Children ages 6 to 12 are
invited to attend a Pizza
Jam, organized by Port St.
*Lucie Parks and Recreation.
The event, to be held on the,
fourth Friday of every
month, will feature basket-

ball games, contests and
pizza. Parents must register
their children the evening
of the event at the door of
the Robert Minsky Gymna-
sium, 750 S.W. Darwin
Blvd., in Port St. Lucie. The
event begins at 6 p.m., and
children will not be allowed
to leave until a parent picks
them up at 9 p.m. Parents
must bring identification
when picking up their chil-
dren. This is a lock-in pro-
gram; doors will be locked
at 6:30 p.m. For more infor-
mation, call Demetris at
(772) 344-4300.
Guided hikes: Saturdays
at 10 a.m. Oxbow natural-
ists, lead visitors along a
series of trails, discussing
the plants and wildlife that
live in the different habitats
along the North Fork of the
St. Lucie River. For informa-
tion, call (772) 785-5833 or
v i s i t
www.stlucieco.gov/erd/oxb
ow.
Heathcote Botanical
Gardens, 210 Savannah
Road, in Fort Pierce, offers
free admission the second
Friday of every month. For
more information, call (772)
464-4672

Island Fest happens
every Thursday night from
6 10 p.m. and Sundays
from 10 a.m. 4 p.m.
(weather permitting) at Sea
Turtle Beach on Hutchin-
son Island, on A-1-A. Crafts,
food and music galore. Call
(772) 873-2981 for more
information
Savannas Preserve
State Park: Guided walks,
horseback riding and inter-
active exhibits are available
at the Education Center, at
2541 Walton Road, in Fort
Pierce. The preserve also
has canoe and kayak tours
and rentals. Children must
be over the age of 5. Reser-
vations are required for
summer months. For
details, call (772) 398-2779.
Volunteers needed at the
Education Center; to volun-
teer, call (772) 398-2779.
St. Lucie County Marine
Center: Features the Smith-
sonian Marine Ecosystems
exhibits. Tours with manag-
er Bill Hoffman are at 2 p.m.,
on Saturdays. Reservations
suggested, not required.
Staff-guided tours of the six
ecosystem displays are
Tuesdays at 2 p.m..The staff
will answer questions about

the constantly changing
ecosystems. Admission to
the exhibit is free on Tues-
days, and there is no cost
for the behind-the-scenes
tours. The center, located at
420 Seaway Drive, in Fort
Pierce, is open from 10 a.m.
to 4 p.m. Tuesday through
Saturday, and from noon to
4 p.m. on Sundays. Admis-
sion is $2 for adults, $1.50
for seniors and $1 for chil-
dren 6 and up. Group rates
for 10 or more are available.
For information, call (772)
462-3474.
*Treasurd Coast Sympho-
ny Orchestra. experienced
string players needed.
Rehearsals are held on
Mondays, from 7-9 p.m. at
Forest Grove Middle
School, 3201 25th Street,
Fort Pierce, (772) 871-2863.
For more information, call
(772) 871-2863.

To submit a calendar
event, e-mail the informa-
tion to news@hometown-
newsol.com, or fax it to
(772) 465-5301. Information
must be received two weeks
prior to the publication
date.

Become a HometownNews Helper TODA
t [ To become a Hometown Helper, just send
S $19.95 to help us defray our distribution
costs and we'll send you your own "I love
my Hometown News" coffee cup, an official
Hometown Helper membership card that will qualify ......
you for fantastic discounts from area merchants.
You will also receive a list of local merchants and all the savings they
have to offer! Make sure to check the HometownNews on the last
Friday of every month to see all the new savings available. S
SAVING MONEY HAS NEVER BEEN EASIER! I
Simply call or mail this form in today.
NAME
1 ADDRESS

R'ometownNews Photos
Voted the #1 Community Newspaper in the USA
Great Photos now available from the Professional photographers

Notes
From page A4

ize and head various volun-
teer committees. The areas
include special events, mail-
ings, technical support, and
Capital Campaign cultiva-
tion.
We are looking for individ-
uals that support our mis-
sion of improving the quali-
ty of life of individuals with
disabilities.
Those interested should
call (772) 464-9551.

Volunteers needed to
help with tax returns
AARP tax-aide needs vol-
unteers to prepare tax
returns. Participants will
receive free IRS certified
tax training. Positions are
available for sites in Mar-
tin County and southern
St. Lucie County. Addition-
al ways to help are avail-
able through United Way
of Martin County as part of
their Earned Income Tax
Credit preparation pro-
gram.
For more information,
call (772) 283-4800.

La Leche League
La Leche League of Trea-
sure Coast meets in differ-
ent locations from Palm
City to Sebastian. Mothers
with their nursing babies
and mothers-to-be are
welcome.
For directions to meetings
or more information, call
(772) 233-1883.

Free vessel safety
checks
The Port St. Lucie Power
Squadron is offering free
vessel safety checks.
Qualified squadron
members will check boat's
PFDs, lights, registration
and required safety items
to verify that they meet
state and federal regula-
tions.
Upon passing, you will
be issued a dated inspec-
tion decal that is recog-
nized by the Coast Guard
and Marine Patrol for one
year.
If inspection is failed, no
record will be kept and you
may request another free
inspection when deficien-
cies are corrected.
Call (772) 871-1018; leave
your name & number and
you will be.. contacted to
schedule an appointment.

Skate City open
The City of Port St Lucie's
Parks and Recreation
Department opened Skate
City, which recently went
through a renovation
including re-surfacing of
the skate surface, repair
and re-conditioning of the
skate equipment.
The facility is located at
Whispering Pines Park on
Darwin Blvd., in Port St.
Lucie. The hours of opera-.
tion are:
Monday Thursday from 4
p.m. to 8 p.m. Friday from
4 p.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday
and Sunday from 2 p.m. to
8 p.m. Membership is
$5.65 annually, and the
admission is $2.45 week-
days and $3.65 on week-
ends. For more informa-
tion, call (772) 344-4142.

Young Floridian
Scholarship Program
information

Young Floridian Scholar-
ship Program information
and applications are now
available.
The Young Floridian Pro-
gram honors one St. Lucie
high school senior, either
public or private school, in
each of 14 academic or
extracurricular disciplines.
The winners, who are
announced each spring,
receive a $1,000 scholar-
ship to the college or uni-
versity of their choice.
The Young Floridian
Scholarship Program's
brochure and application
are now available on the
St. Lucie County Chamber
of Commerce website at
www.stluciechamber.org
under Chamber Forms.
For more information,
please contact the Cham-
ber at (772) 340-1333.

kayaking tours at 10:30 am
and sunset from south
Hutchinson Island. The
cost is $20 per person,
children must have parent
signature. Over night
camp outs on our islands
are also available.
For more information,
call (772) 216-2820.

CareNet Pregnancy
Centers

CareNet Pregnancy Cen-
ters provide free and confi-
dential support, counsel-
ing and help for pregnant
women. Hours of opera-
tion vary, but appoint-
ments can be made 24
hours a day:
There are free parenting
classes are available for
Moms, Dads, and Parents-
to-Be every Tuesday
evening from 7-8:30 p.m
"Baby Bucks", which can
be redeemed for baby
clothes and furnishings
can be earned by attend-
ing.
Class information varies
weekly including topics
like having a birth plan,
career counseling, caring
for your infant or toddler,
or dealing with sibling
rivalry. The center is ask-
ing for donations of car
seats and diapers.
The Port St. Lucie branch
is located at 8432 S. Feder-
al Highway.
For this week's class topic
or general information
please call (772) 871-2211.

Role-playing class
for children

The St. Lucie County's
Parks & Recreation
Department is offering a
new program that empow-
ers children through the
creation of reality-based
role-playing.
The class will be held on
the third Friday of the
month at the Fort Pierce
Community Center from 6
10 p.m.
The class allows children
to experience various pro-
fessions through pretend
play.
Students will learn what
it is like to be an archeolo-
gist, from digging .in the
dirt to putting together
pieces of the past.
The class is open to chil-
dren ages 7 11. The cost
to participate is $20 per
child per activity, which
includes the class, dinner
and a movie.
The Fort Pierce Commu-
nity Center is located at
600 N. Indian River Drive,
Fort Pierce.
For more information
call the St. Lucie County
Parks & Recreation staff at
(772) 462-1792.

Chamber
of Commerce
seeking volunteers

The St. Lucie County
Chamber of Commerce is
looking for outgoing,
friendly individuals to pro-
vide information about
our community to people
from all over the world.
This person should have
good telephone skills to
most effectively work with
callers.
Anyone interested should
call (772) 340-1333, ext. 13,
for more information.

If you've been to an event in the
community chances are, we
snapped a shot of you..
So go ahead, log on to
www.hometownnewsol.com

From page Al
Way but also as a county,"
said Ms. Walker.
Organizers are still seek-
ing sponsors for the event,
as well as donations of
items for the auctions.
"We're looking for spon-
sorship support from local
companies as well as large

ticket items such as sport-
ing tickets, weekend get-
aways and electronics for
the live and silent auction,"
said Terri Sloan-Bartz, vice
president of Seacoast
National Bank and the
2007-2008 United Way
Campaign chair.

The United Way of St. Lucie
County Founder's Celebration
is on Saturday, Jan. 26 at 6
p.m. at the St. Lucie County
Fairgrounds. Tickets for the
event are $75 per person or
$650 for a table of 10. To
reserve tickets, or to become a

sponsor or donate items for
the auctions, contact Michelle
King, vice president of
Resource Development for
United Way of St. Lucie Coun-
ty, at (772) 464-5300 or by e-
mail at michelle.king@unit-
edwayslc.org.

South Breeze Air

Air Conditioning & Heating
Family Owned & Operated Over 10 Years Of Experience
South Breeze Air Conditioning & Heating is the best source for all of your heating and cooling needs in
St. Lucie, Martin and Indian River Counties and the surrounding area.
South Breeze Air Conditioning & Heating's technicians design and install air conditioners, heat pumps,
furnaces, humidifiers, air cleaners, heat recovery ventilators, zone systems, programmable thermostats and
sanitizing. They also provide home air conditioning and heating systems for every size and type of home.
South Breeze Air Conditioning & Heating can install the most efficient, reliable and durable products for
your home.
Their team of professionals stands ready to serve you in any way necessary, and even provides 24-hour
emergency service 7 days a week and same day services with no overtime charges, and financing is
available. You will always be treated with the courtesy and respect every customer deserves. When it comes
to your family or business, you want an air conditioning and heating system that provides value as well as
comfort. They are a member of the Better Business Bureau.
The editors of this 2008 Holiday Business Review and Reference Guide suggest that you call South
Breeze Air Conditioning & Heating today in St. Lucie County (772) 461-3900, in Martin County (772)
220-4710 and in Vero (772) 778-9500 and let them make your home, condo, apartment, mobile home
or business more comfortable. They would like to take this time to thank you for your business! LIC
S067002 Merle Norman

Cosmetic Studio
The personalized services of Merle Norman are free makeover lessons, free skin care analysis and five-
minute facials. For a wide variety of skin care products and cosmetics, as well as an assortment of handbags,
including the famous Butler Bag, visit Merle Norman, located at The Landing at Tradition, 10680 SW
Village Parkway in Port St. Lucie, phone (772) 345-2199.
They have their seasonal colors offered each quarter, and "free gift with purchase" promotions. For over 70
years, Merle Norman has met the beauty needs of women using their "try before you buy" concept. They
can deal with skin problems in a wide range of complexions and skin types. To help prevent the signs of
aging, the personalized skin care lesson will help increase your skin's firmness and elasticity, which will help
to reduce your lines and wrinkles.
If you are on Merle Norman's computerized mailing list, you will receive advanced notices and up-to-date
additional incentives.
The authors of this 2008 Winter Edition Local Business Update urge you to be sure and call Merle
Norman today for an appointment. Merle Norman Studios are independently owned and operated.
TNT Family Fitness
One Body, One Life, TNTYour Hometown Gym of 17 years
NOW Open 24 Hours
Have fun and shape up at TNT Family Fitness, located at 460 SW Port St Lucie Blvd. in Port St Lucie. This
club is designed for people just like you, people who want to feel and look their best, to get the most out of
life.
TNT Family Fitness offers a full range of equipment, fitness assessments, programs, circuit classes, weight
training, kickboxing, yoga and aerobic classes to choose from. They also have all the latest cardiovascular
machines including treadmills, semi-recumbent bikes, stairmasters, and Life Fitness bikes.
Activities are offered throughout the day, seven days a week. Whether you're seeking the support and
structure found in a group atmosphere, or are looking for the education component offered in many of their
classes, they have just the activity for you.
TNT-Family Fitness features "John Defendis Ultra Fit Weight Loss Proram" 'as seen on TV, ABC's 20/20,
Good Morning America, Hard Copy, and more. Come visit their new and larger facility. Seniors... Free
membership for seniors call for details! CALL NOW for more information on their rates.
The writers of this 2008 Winter Edition Local Business Update suggest that you go and enjoy the
friendly service and expert staff or call TNT Family Fitness at (772) 336-8489 for more information
on how they can shape you up.

Silver Platter Entrees
A Catering Company and Cooking Academy
Are you starting to plan your big day? Do you have a big party looming, a corporate luncheon or dinner?
Everything is under control! Silver Platter Entrees are the catering experts to handle any occasion. With
the husband and wife team of Folker and Jayne Raynolds, no party is too big or too small. Folker, a graduate
of The Culinary Institute in Hyde Park, New York is not only a culinary-trained chef, but also an extremely
talented one!
Silver Platter Entrees unique blend of skills, experience (over 30 years) and professionalism makes any
occasion; wedding, corporate party, breakfast seminar, or luncheon run smoothly.
Not only do they offer catering, but also Cooking Classes and Cooking-themed Birthday Parties for children.
They can teach young, old, expert or novice new ways to cook, plus money-saving tips to help any budget.
From Continental or American, to Oriental cuisine, they can do it all. Their goal is to assist you in making
your event a beautiful, stress-free experience with wonderful memories.
The authors of this 2008 Winter Edition Local Business Update suggest that you call Silver Platter
Entrees today at (772) 335-1699 to discuss pricing and planning for your next event.
Nature's Den
Do you want to give your body a rest from all that junk food? Nature's Den is your place for fresh produce
and natural foods. They stock a complete line of organic fruits, veggies, cheese, breads, groceries, herbs,
vitamins, books and much more. They are an independent, family owned health and diet food store that
serves the community by specializing in top quality natural food products. This store carries organic fruits,
vegetables and dairy products; cheeses; the best quality beef free of added hormones or antibiotics, free-
range poultry and bakery and deli items with organic ingredients.
Nature's Den's friendly staff prides themselves in providing for their customers the freshest fruits and
vegetables available and the highest quality whole foods at a fair price. They are very knowledgeable
and able to assist with nutritional recommendations and they also have information resources available for
consumer use.
The authors of this 2008 Winter Edition Local Business Update urge our readers to get healthy by
shopping at Nature's Den, located at 8759 South Federal Highway in Port St. Lucie, phone (772) 878-
9704. Stop by and see why this is the area's premier health store.
Southport Dental Care
Dr. Michael Cook, Dr. Jeff Fox, Dr. Matthew Fox
Good dental hygiene enables everyone to "light up the world" with a smile, and good dental health begins
when you see your dentist regularly. Southport Dental Care, located at 10690 South US Hwy 1, Suite
A, in Port St Lueie, phone (772) 335-3300 provides preventative dental care and oral health counseling,
cosmetic dentistry, general dentistry, emergency treatment, and affordable tooth whitening. The office
accepts most dental insurance plans and will'explain the problem area in your mouth before beginning the
necessary work.
Southport Dental Care and their staff emphasize the prevention of dental disease and endeavors to make
your visit comfortable, convenient and affordable. You need to have your teeth cleaned often to maintain
consistent dental health, so call Southport Dental Care today fbr an appointment.
The editors of this 2008 Winter Edition Local Business Update recommend Southport Dental Care
for all of your dental needs...where skilled hands and an eye for beauty guarantee "Your Teeth For
A Lifetime!"

uAtminum Products
Are you really prepared for the next hurricane season? Preparing for these storms is NOT a luxury it is an
absolute necessity. The next time your home gets pounded with thunder storms, tropical storms or hurricanes
with winds up to 140 miles per hour and faster, you will be confident with your shutter protection. Master
Craft Aluminum Products will deliver premium quality hurricane protection within an acceptable time
frame and at a reasonable price.
Master Craft Aluminum Products, located at 1634 SE Niemeyer Circle (Off Village Green
Drive) in Port St. Lucie, phone (772) 335-1177, has over 35 years experience in the shutter
industry. They are a local family owned business serving the Treasure Coast. since 1972, and
are long time members of the both the Better Business Bureau and the Chamber of Commerce.
Master Craft Aluminum Products installs accordion shutters, Bahama shutters, and hurricane storm.
panels all of which are tested and approved in accordance with current certification authorities to provide
hurricane protection. Their shutters pass all current state codes for hurricane protection, and come with full
manufacturer's warranty.
A representative from Master Craft Aluminum Products will be happy to meet with you at your home to
discuss your options on the best way to make your home ready for a hurricane. At Master Craft, they strive
to deliver the best quality products on time, every time. They also offer a full line of aluminum products
including screen rooms, sun rooms, window replacement, vinyl siding, and more.
The authors of this 2008 Winter Edition Local Business Update urge our readers to contact Master
Craft Aluminum Products today at (772) 335-1177 to find ou't more information on how shutters could
benefit your home or office. Call today for a free estimate. You will be glad you did.
Here yesterday... Here today... Here tomorrow...

Local Business Update
Prepared By County News, Inc. 2007 All Rights Reserved
(800) 580-0485 www.countynewsinc.com

you really can drive in to Sonic for a change!
The authors of this 2008 Winter Edition Local Business Update suggest that you visit Sonic today at
2551 South Jenkins Rd. in Fort Pierce, phone (772)461-6309.

The Sanctuary Spa at Tradition
St. Lucie's Premier Destination for Relaxation
Imagine a place where you can relax and forget the pressures of the world around you. The Sanctuary Spa
at Tradition strives to provide the best day spa service to each and every client. They are sure to rejuvenate
your mind and body with one of their exceptional facial or body treatments. They have packages to suit
everyone, so whatever you decide upon, you're sure to relax and enjoy! Luxurious manicures and spa
pedicures, facials and anti-aging skin care treatments, revitalizing body wraps and therapeutic massages are
but a few of the personalized services featured at The Sanctuary Spa at Tradition.
Each and every visit to The Sanctuary Spa is a delightful experience. The highly trained, attentive staff
will accommodate your every need and will ensure that you receive the finest care possible.
From the moment you walk in the door of The Sanctuary Spa, you are transported to a calming place. You
are in a true spa in every sense of the word. There is real serenity about The Sanctuary Spa right down
to the last detail. If you are looking for a truly unforgettable spa experience, look no further. De-stress,
rejuvenate and wrap yourself in the luxurious experience that is the Sanctuary Spa.
The editors of this 2008 Winter Edition Local Business Update urgeurge you to energize your body, calm
your mind, soothe your soul and indulge for a day at The Sanctuary Spa at Tradition, located at 10799
SW Tradition Square in Port St. Lucie, phone (772) 345-7727 or visit www.sanctuaryspatradition for
more information.
Eben Ezer Assisted Living
Nurse on Duty 24-Hours a Day
,As pioneers in assisted living, Eben Ezer Assisted Living is committed to the highest quality of care. Their
experienced caring staff is on duty 24-hours a day, seven days a week to make sure that all residents remain
healthy, safe and comfortable.
The happiness and well being of their residents is the driving force behind everything they do. When you
choose them, you're giving your loved one the personalized services and caring attention he or she deserves
and you'll have peace of mind knowing that your loved one is enjoying life.
They have spacious apartments that give residents the room they need to live independently and enjoy
whatever hobbies they choose. They have full size bathrooms that are outfitted with safety grab bars, tub
and shower and all utilities are included.
Everyday is a holiday at Eben Ezer Assisted Living. Daily and weekly activities will give the residents a
chance to maintain a healthy, active and full lifestyle.
So, what are you waiting for? The authors of this 2008 Winter Edition Local Business Update suggest
that you go to Eben Ezer Assisted Living and see what you've been missing. They are located at 742
SE Academy Lane in Port Saint Lucie, or call (772) 607-4046 to schedule a tour at Eben Ezer Assisted
iving. A Quality Fiber Glass

Structural to Cosmetic Fiberglass Repair
From the top to the prop, A Quality Fiber Glass can get you out on the water comfortably and safely.
This full service boat repair shop has "factory trained technicians" that are in the top of their field and are
continually upgrading their knowledge. They have been serving the community since 1997, for over 10
years.
A Quality Fiber Glass is located at 1801 N. US Hwy 1 in Ft. Pierce, phone (772) 595-1818. They
offer fiberglass repair, structural fabrication, custom restoration, cosmetic repairs, transom repair, floor
replacement, minor gel coats repairs and custom color matching. They are your AWL grip refinishing
experts! Their service facility can order any part necessary, for rigging and electrical and parts required
for steering systems and electronics trim tabs insulation. They are an authorized distributor for Keel Guard
Expert (TM of Mega Ware- Keel Guard, Inc.). Expert service by A Quality Fiber Glass' well-trained staff
and long-term commitment to customer satisfaction has been the cause of their success. They know that
you demand quality service and good value .for your dollar. Therefore, they treat you and your boat the way
they would like to be treated. A Quality Fiber Glass is your boat repair solution for everything from minor
scuffs to major restorations! No job is too big or too small.
The authors of this 2008 Winter Edition Local Business Update suggest that you call A Quality Fiber
Glass at (772) 595-1818 or stop by to see how they can get your boat in tiptop shape for your boating
enjoyment. Morningside Academy

Choosing Excellence in Education
Identifying a school for your child that will increase knowledge, wisdom, discipline, and faith may seem
to be an on-going endeavor. Morningside Academy, located at 2160 SE Morningside in Port St. Lucie,
celebrating 20 years of serving Port St. Lucie and the adjoining area, may be that perfect fit for students and
parents. Morningside's pre-K through grade 12 program meets all the standards of educational excellence,
moral instruction, and full-range of fine arts and athletics, and is fully accredited through the Florida
Association of Christian Colleges and Schools (FACCS).
Using a traditional approach, Morningside's teachers and staff provide instruction and care from preschool
onward that produce students who score well above national norms on national and college-entrance tests.
The Lower school curriculum centers on the foundations of learning: reading, writing, arithmetic, and respect
for God and others. The college prep curriculum at the Upper School exceeds all State requirements. The
heart and spirit are reached as well at each grade level through Bible-based, nondenominational instruction,
where love of God, family, and country resonate.
From kindergarten on, Morningside's renowned fine arts program trains outstanding singers and string
players, winning the Academy state and national acclaim. Interscholastic sports are offered at both the
middle and high school levels (FHSAA). Athletic offerings include volleyball, golf, basketball, baseball,
softball, and track. Graduates have fanned out and succeeded at numerous top colleges and in their chosen
careers. About two-thirds of all graduates have qualified for the Florida Bright Futures Program.
The authors of this 2008 Winter Edition Local Business Update urge you to make the right decision
for your child's future. Call today at (772) 335-3231, or visit www.morningsideacademy.com to find
out more information about how Morningside Academy is the perfect academic and spiritual choice
for your child. Open enrollment for the 2008-2009 school year begins March 10th.
Jensen Beach Travel Service
Celebrating 40 Years in Jensen Beach
Whether you are going on a romantic cruise or a business flight to the other side of the world, Jensen Beach
Travel Service, located at 1991 NE Jensen Beach Blvd. in Jensen Beach, is your travel agent that can get
you there without all the headaches and hassles.
This full service travel agency offers professional booking and consulting for all of your domestic and
international travel needs. Their travel consultants will put their expertise to work for you in helping you
plan your trip. Or, if you already know where and how you want to go, they will be happy to make all of
the arrangements for you.
Anyone can sell you air tickets, rental cars, hotel rooms, meeting space, etc., but Jensen Beach Travel
Service provides you with exceptional service, comprehensive destination information, competitive prices
and creative ideas on challenging travel arrangements. So, the next time you need to travel, contact these
travel professionals at (772) 334-1300 and.compare prices, service, value and knowledge. They are members
of the Treasure Coast Travel Association and look forward to the opportunity to be of service to you, whether
it's a corporate account, incentive group, family vacation or a weekend getaway. Jensen Beach Travel
Service invites you ladies to join them the Second Tuesday of every other month for the Ladies Travel
Club "Go Togethers." Please join them on January 171h at Indian Riverside Park for their 3" Annual
Consumer Travel Show. Enjoy the specials and promotions being offered as booking incentives.
The writers of this 2008 Winter Edition Local Business Update suggest that you let Jensen Beach
Travel Service provide you with all of your travel needs. Stop in and ask about their special group

Treasure Coast RV Resort
www.treasurecoastrv.com
Treasure Coast RV Resort, located at 2550 Crossroads Pkwy in Fort Pierce, phone (772) 468-2099 is the
perfect place for your next relaxing getaway. Treasure Coast RV Resort offers not only the amenities their
customers deserve, but they also have a staff of gracious employees who serve each of their customers with
a personal level of service. They want all of their guests to feel like they are among friends while you're
vacationing.
The staff at Treasure Coast RV Resort will welcome you with a warm smile and extend their hospitality
throughout your whole stay whether you are planning to spend the night, the weekend or the entire season!
You can enjoy the ppol hot tub and many planned activities. You'll never be bored unless you want to
be.
Treasure Coast RV Resort provides well-maintained sites with water, cable TV, Wireless internet, electric,
30, 50 amps and sewer. They also have laundry facilities and modern, clean restrooms with hot showers.
Treasure Coast RV Resort will also welcome your pets (2 dog limit please)!
The authors of this 2008 Winter Edition Local Business Update suggest that you call Treasure Coast
RV Resort today at (772) 468-2099 and make your reservations for your next getaway.
Sonic Drive-In
As timeless as rock and roll music and as classic as Elvis Presley, Sonic Drive-In is a hoppin' place to enjoy
your next meal!
Drive in and enjoy fabulous music on the Sonic radio and the convenience of carhops who arrive in minutes
with hot, freshly prepared food. Their menus are well lit and easy to read. You can choose a value meal
complete with fries and a drink, or order individual treats! Deciding is half the funm! Really hungry? Sonic
size your meal for pocket change! Your kids will love their wacky pack meals complete with a fun toy
surprise. -
The environment at Sonic hasn't changed much over the years, but the menu selection has expanded
tremendously. Wake up to a breakfast on the go or.tantalize your taste buds with a sweet dessert. Sonic
now has a variety of selections for breakfast, lunch, dinner and dessert. Cheddar peppers, mozzarella sticks
and popcorn chicken complete with dipping sauces satisfy your snack cravings, and their fabulous fountain
favorites are irresistible!
Try their chicken salads- Southwestern Chicken, Grilled Chicken and Popcorn Chicken- a combination
of hot and cold that will tantalize your taste buds.
Sonic has unique menu items and food made to order with no long line to wait in! Stop in and find out why

You worked hard for your Medicare.

Let us give you back over $1,000 a year.

That's the WellCare Way.

Keep $90 in your Social Security check every month* when you
choose WellCare. Enjoy all of our benefits plus a choice of great doctors.
How do we do it? WellCare has been in business fo& over 20 years. We
offer only government health care programs like Medicare, so we know
how to create plans that give you more for less.

WellCare is a health plan with a Medicare contract. Benefits and limitations may vary by plan and by county. You must continue to pay your Medicare Part B premium. A sales representative will be present
with information and applications. For accommodation of persons with special needs at sales meetings, call 1-866-907-7647 (TTY/TDD: 1-877-247-6272). There is no obligation. For certification status, a call
center must perform within the top 20 percent of customer service scores, which are based on benchmarks established in J.D. Power and Associates' cross-industry customer satisfaction research.
As part of its evaluation, J.D. Power and Associates conducted a random survey of WellCare Health Plans, Inc., customers who recently contacted its call centers. For J.D. Power and Associates Certified
Call Center ProgramsM information, visit ww'w.jdpower.com. Please contact WellCare for details. *Beneficiaries who do not have their Medicare Part B premium withheld will not be required to pay $90
each month to Social Security.

M012 NA06487_WCMADV_ENG

..Get More.
Callp us *I-B today.J^^

WellCare 2007 NA 11 07F

OFFER CODE: HTN PSL0104

I[

0M

FRIDAY, JANUARY 4, 2008 HOMETOWN NEWS

-~ II

RIIN ST. LUCIE COUNTY

nIomn i.InrnTA I 1 11

B SOTFrTINda

Friday

SHELLEY KOPPEL
Treasure Coast Scene

Blues

at the

Sunrise
D arryl Bey, who led
the Fort Pierce Jazz
& Blues Society for
many years, is still bringing
music to the area. On Jan.
10, he's bringing
singer/songwriter Zac Har-
mon to the Sunrise stage,
along with Ronnie Baker
Brooks, son of blues legend
Lonnie Brooks. Tickets for
the 8 p.m. show are $32; call
the box office at (772) 461-
4775 or order online at
www.sunrisetheatre.com

Capitol Steps take
aim at politicians
Elaina Newport, a
founding member of the
singing political satire
troupe The Capitol Steps,
loves Florida. It is the state
that keeps on, giving
material for their humor,
that is. They return to the
Lyric Theatre on Jan. 9 and
she spoke from Washing-
ton, D.C. about the coming
election.
Last year's trip, also in
January, was shortly after
the Mark Foley page
scandal and the Democrat-
ic take-over of Congress,
which provided a wealth of
material. This year, it has
been Senator Larry Craig
that has been the gift that
keeps on giving.
"Larry Craig has been
great for us," she said.
"That he didn't resign was a
gift for comedians. We use
a song to the tune of 'Knock
Three Times,' called 'Tap
Three Times.' We had to
build a bathroom stall as a
set.
'As a citizen, my first
reaction is 'does .this really
go on?' As a comedian, I
ask, 'what's the song, how
quickly can we get this into
the show?' It's fantastic that
Senator Craig is fighting the
charges, so thank, you,
Larry."
Right now the troupe is
sorting out the primary
candidates with a song for
each one. They started the
primary season with
"Seventy-Six Unknowns."
For Mitt Romney, they sing,
"How to Fake it Through the
Night," and John McCain
has "McCain's Campaign is
) See SCENE, B8

BY SHELLEY KOPPEL
Entertainment writer
John Patrick was a prolific
playwright and screen-
writer who wrote numer-
ous farces and comedies, as
well as the stage adaptation
of "Teahouse of the August
Moon," which won a
Pulitzer Prize and Tony
Award.
He also wrote the screen-
plays for successful films
like "Three Coins in a Foun-
tain" and "Love is a Many-
Splendored Thing." Local
audiences may remember
the Pineapple Playhouse's
production last season of
"The Curious Savage," this

year they are presenting the
comedy "Opal's Million
Dollar Duck," which will
run from Jan. 10-27.
The play centers around
two performers from a sum-
mer stock company,
Desmond and Queenie,
who are searching for cos-
tumes in a local store,
"Opal's Antique Junque
Shop."
As they go through her
treasures, they find an oil*
painting of a dead duck with
an apple that seems to fit the
description of a valuable
painting that was stolen
from a local art museum.
Hoping to get the reward for
the return of the painting,
they try to get Opal to sell it

STAR SCOPES
James Tucker

Week of 01-04-2008

Aries-March 21-April 19
Much change is happening around you now. Your
job is to stay calm when the storms hit and ride
things through. Your courage and decision- mak-
ing powers increase, and you experience overall
good results when you follow this plan. Refuse to
get sidetracked on whimsical ideas. You are a
master at handling life's challenges. You do it so
well.

Taurus-April 20-May 20
Your spirit is stronger than ever. Your heart pre-
vails. You have so many new ideas inside that
want to be released and become fruitful. It all
comes down to priorities and action. Stay true to

to them, but she has decid-
ed to keep it because it
reminds her of her pet duck
that was run over by a truck.
The actors try a variety of
outrageous methods to try
to wrest the painting from
her and the plot thickens as
their efforts become more
and more frantic.
Colby Dempsey, the assis-
tant director for the produc-
tion, says that the play-
wright, who wrote the play
toward the end of his career,
pokes fun at himself and at
the approximately 50 plays
he wrote.
"He pokes fun at some of
his own work, including
'The Curious Savage,' and
has references to other

plays, but you don't have to
understand the inside jokes
to see the humor," Mr.
Dempsey said. "It's a come-
dy, but it makes a study of
how a farce works, with
things like doors opening
and closing."
The cast, all from Port St.
Lucie, includes Karen Dierk-
sen as Opal, Madeline Lom-
bardi as Rosie, Jaime
Helmick as Queenie and
Emmett Fitzsimmons as
Desmond.
Mr. Dempsey has
appeared on the Pineapple
stage as a performer and
was recently in the Barn
Theatre's "Perspectives"

Tuesday

Thursday

0 See DUCK, B8

yourself, but listen to trusted advisors who have
your best interests at heart as well, and you will
always head in the right direction. Two thousand
eight will be a very good year for you if you listen.

Gemini-May 21-June 21
It's time to take your life to the next level. Begin
, the New Year with positive expectations for your
major dreams and goals. Just be sure your heart is
in them before you begin starting any project. The
heart is what helps see things through to comple-
tion. Also, keep a lighter touch. Are you having any
fun in life? Happiness is the surest sign of success.

Cancer-June 22-July 22
Attention to details continues to bring positive
results. Sometimes it is a challenge to find motiva-
tion and change while taking care of the small
stuff. You can do it. The whole idea -is to pace your-
self and trust your instincts. You have so many
worthwhile goals. You will be tested. You are up
for it. You will emerge victorious again. It's your
destiny.

Leo-July 23-Aug. 22
Your very truest nature is to listen to, act on and
follow through on your first impressions. You are
born of fire and vision. When you feel the passion

in your soul firing up, you are irrepressible. When-
ever you feel yourself slowing down it is because
you are moving sideways instead of forward. Stay
on track and this year will be one of your best ever.

Virgo-Aug. 23-Sept. 22
The moon in Virgo gives you an emotional edge
this week. There isn't much holding you back
these days. Saturn in retrograde just makes you
more selective on where you place your energy.
Begin to make new plans for the next three
months. By spring you will be moving forward at a
steady clip. New and better results are on the hori-
zon.

Libra-Sept. 23-Oct. 22
When you are rested and feeling good your life
works so much better. You are always doing good
for others. Make it a promise that this year you will
practice balance in your own life as well. There is
no reason to burn out now. Take.care of yourself
and the universe will continue to reward you with
so many new opportunities. You are so deserving.

Tt# -rs ApproecX
In less than 2 hours, prepare 12 healthy, and
delicious meals to take home for your family.
All for less than $4 per serving

1011, 11,1 $ [. s1 r1g

Tickets are $25; call the box
office at (772) 284-4884.

THURSDAY, JAN. 10
* Pineapple Playhouse, 700
West Weatherbee Road, Fort
Pierce, presents the comedy,
"Opal's Million Dollar Duck,"
through January 27. Perfor-
mances are Thursday-Saturday
at 8 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m.
Tickets are $15; call the box
office at (772) 465-0366.
* Live at the Blake Library,
2351 S.E. Monterey Road, Stu-
art, presents acoustic guitarist
Jack Williams in a program of
American music. Tickets for the
7 p.m. concert are $10 in
advance and $15 at the door
and are available at the Blake
Library. Call (772) 221-1403.
- The Lyric Theatre, 59 S.W.
Flagler Ave., Stuart, presents
"Dino-His Son Remembers,"
featuring vocalist Ricci Martin,
son of Dean Martin. The
shows are at 6 and 8:30 p.m.;
tickets are $38 and $30; call the
box office at (772) 286-7827 or
order online at www.lyricthe-
atre.com.

Thank you for choosing Creative Catering! We are family owned and operated with over
30 years experience. Our impeccable attention to detail adds radiance and class to every
occasion, whether it is a wedding or business conference. We specialize in on-site and
off-site catering and provide a variety of menu options to fit everyone budget.

Customer satisfaction' is our top pprioity'it'd we will be happy to create a custom menu to
fit your preferences. Our beautifw'-banquet facility has over I'600 square-feet and a'n
optional 500 square feet for patio entertainment. Our traditional welcoming lounge is dec-
orated with unique Wall sconces and a glowing fireplace which creates a warm, inviting
atmosphere for all to enjoy!

tSteakhouse
614 Bayshore Blvd. SPE
Pt. St. Lucie, FL
West Bridge Plaza
I 8.00 878-6555 $s8.00
I i Vlid with The Order of 2nd Entr6e. Not Valid With Any Other Promotio .
L m ama summ I /m Im / Im / I / I "m

fect, Now Change," is a
long title for a delightful
show that is made up of
short vignettes about dat-
ing, relationships, mar-
riage, children, in-laws,
growing old together and
losing a spouse.
StarStruck Performing
Arts Center's Jennifer and
Peter Jones have been
hired by the Barn Theatre
to present the show at the
Barn from Jan. 9-27 and I

spoke with Jennifer Jones,
the director, about the
show.
"It's a great show with a
long title," she said. "The
New York tag line for it is
'Seinfeld set to. music.' It's
very New York, very cosmo-
politan, very in-your-face,
very witty. There are six
actors, three male and
three female, who all wear
black and interchangeably
share all of the parts," she

said.
"Two of the men, James
Channing and Bobby John-
ston, are graduates of our
program. James Channing
was Sweeney Todd and
Bobby Johnston was Judge
Turpin. It's really exciting
to watch James and Bobby
transitioning into being
adult professionals. I am so
proud of them and of their
0 See PERFECT, B5

2 FOR 1 12 OZ. COFFEE!
I|^^^ XS-||J^^^^^^^^^^^^^_^_^ ^

I One Block North of the Crosstown Parkway |

SMOKY'S BIG BIB BBQ

"THE BEST BBQ IN PSL"
PORT ST. LUCIE'S ANSWER TO CHEERS"WHERE
EVERYBODY "WANTS" TO KNOW YOUR NAME"
JANUARY SPECIALS!!
No coupons necessary

Photo provided by Gigi Channing
Larry Brooks (right) plays the father while driving the 'kids' Elizabeth Casalini, Lynn Mozena, James Channing and
Bobby Johnston in one of the vignettes performed in StarStruck Productions 'I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change'.
The cast will perform the show eighteen times at the Barn Theatre in Stuart between Jan. 9-27.

'I Love You, You're Perfect;, Now

Change' looks at love, marriage

O!
3[v
ges

Check a t our menu online
www.usmokysbbq.com I

'. 'd

HIN aI I N lHMNT

Perfect
From page B4

work ethic. It's really
important to everybody in
any career to know that
there are people who
know more and have more
experience. It's the best
environment for making
you better." q
Larry Brooks, a
StarStruck acting instruc-
tor, has the other male
role; the women are
played by Elizabeth
Casalini, a StarStruck
dance instructor, Heidi
Condon, who teaches
improvisation there and
Lynn Mozena.
"Lynn is new to
StarStruck; she's a local
disc jockey with a great
voice and great comedic
timing," Ms. Jones said.
"We're ecstatic to have
her."
The StarStruck/Barn
collaboration is exciting
for the director.
"The Barn is a wonder-
ful community theater
that has stepped out of
the box and said that they
were going to hire a pro-
fessional company to do
their musical," she said.
"We're rehearsing during
Christmas, and having
such talented people
means that rehearsal time
is minimized. The
rehearsals are about the

details, making a show go
from good to great. All of
the actors bring a lot to
the table."
The Barn also considers
the partnership a great fit.
"The intimate setting of
the Barn Theatre is perfect
for this type of produc-
tion," said John Sabo, the
Barn's vice president for
marketing. "The skilled
hands of our technical
director, J. Pat Mont-
gomery, will provide a
turntable stage setting to
accommodate the per-
formers for an evening
that's heavy on humor
and light on angst."
* Ms. Jones agrees.
"All of the vignettes are
humorous and touching,"
she said. "It's often side-
splittingly hilarious. It's a
great date-night show;
you'll laugh 'til you're blue
in the face. It's also a little
risqu6. It's a lot of fun."
While director Jennifer
Jones and musical direc-
tor Peter Jones are the
well-known members of
the production team, Jen-
nifer Jones has also
brought her long-time
stage manager, Missy
Weigel, to work on the
production.
"We've worked on and
off together for about 10

years, Ms. Jones said.
"We've worked together
on every show for the past
five years. The relation-
ship between stage man-
ager and director is so
important. As the director,
you set the show up with
the specifics of the picture
you're trying to create. As
you start to develop the
characters you count on
the stage manager to
make sure everything else
is happening. On opening
night, once the show is up
and running, I turn it over
to the Missy. Unless there
is a problem, you don't see
me back stage. She's the
one on the walkie-talkie
with the lighting designer
and the sound technician.
I am very lucky to work
with her."
"I Love You, You're Per-
fect, Now Change," runs at
the Barn Theatre, 2400
East Ocean Blvd., Stuart,
from Jan. 9-27. Perfor-
mances are Wednesdays-
Saturdays at 8 p.m. and
Saturdays and Sundays at
2 p.m. Tickets are $25; call,
the box office at (772) 287-
4884 or visit the Web site
www.barn- theatre., corn

Scopes
From page BI

Scorpios have a strong will.
But your heart tells you the
truth more than the head.
Save yourself a lot of time
and wasted energy by letting
go and going with this flow of
inner light and truth without
trying to always figure things
out. Let your passion guide
you and all will be well.

Sagittarius-Nov. 22-Dec. 21
Say this out loud each day
upon awakening: "Mine is a
great life. I begin each new
dlay thankful to be alive and I
rejoice in the endless possi-
bilities. I will make the most
of my day. When I stop my
labor I will make time for
pleasure, joy and sharing my
good with those I love. I have
the courage to face tomor-
row with more of the same. I
give thanks for all these great
blessings"

Capricorn-Dec. 22-Jan. 19
You are truly amazing. You
have a reservoir of energy
and skills that never runs dry.
Why? Because you never quit
trying. You are a winner. You

always get the job done. This
is why the universe chose .
you to start the New Year off
right. You are an inspiration
for all of us. You are the
greatest teacher of the old-
fashioned time honored
values. Thanks for being
there.

Aquarius-Jan. 20-Feb. 18
Your strong efforts in life con-
tinue to bring positive results.
The New Year will bring more
of the same. Your time is
becoming more valuable.
You are a true pioneer who
reaches out and does things
most others only dream
about. Your values are strong.
Your vision is clear. You know
what you want. Now all that
is left is to-take action.
Pisces-Feb. 19-March 20
Rise up each morning from
your slumber and continue to
transform yourself into the

beautiful, free spirited soul
that you were born to be. You
are unique in all of creation.
Remove anything from your
life that would diminish this
awesome inner beauty. You
are so close to your purpose
and passion. Go for it now
and the year ahead will bring
you life's richest blessings
ever.

Star visions

Star Scopes is available at
www.myhometownnews.net
. Click on Star Scopes. For a
personalized astrology or
compatibility chart, call (772)
334-9487 or e-mail jtuck-
xyz@aol.com. I will be at the
South Florida Fair again from
Jan. 18 to Feb. 3 in exhibit
hall 9. Have a starry week,
everyone.

- James Tucker

New Authentic Cuban 1
Restaurant Now In Town!

S ithth 1 i Platter or Omelette i
I purchase of 6 I i and a dridk I
L--------J L--------
Shopps of Victoria Square
295 SW PSL BLVD (772) 807-9055 -
Bayshore Side of WinnDixie Plaza

, FREE 1 2 Dinner Entrees

Coffee $5 OFF

with purchase of breakfast I
up to 4 persons. I W
Not Valid with other offers I
Exp 1/31/08

2-34S
rt St. Lucie Blvd. Co

with purchase of (2) beverages*
I/coupon Dine In Only Not Valid
w/ any other Offer Exp 1/31/08

Hello, smart shoppers.
Happy 2008. Another
year, another chance
to shop smart, save money
and pay attention to your
health by cutting the bad fat
and cholesterol in your diet.
Experts say breakfast is
the most important meal of
the day.
However, many of us eat it
on the run. I have created
my Super Shake for just that
purpose, and my oatmeal
recipe only takes a few
minutes to prepare.
At this time of the year,
hearty soups equal comfort
food, and roasted garlic is a
recipe you must have.
Enjoy. See you next week.

SUPER SHAKE
1 serving NIB
It's often impossible to eat
five fruits and vegetables a
day. Try my Super Shake to
get everyone's day off to a
great start.
Purchase frozen strawber-
ries and blueberries (no
sugar added).
Peel and cut up ripe
bananas and freeze. By
using frozen fruits, no ice is
needed. I use soy milk, you
can use 1 percent or skim
milk. My preference is Silk
brand soy milk, which can
be found in the dairy case. It
comes in sugar-free plain
(my choice), plain, vanilla
and chocolate. The sugar-

Place milk, yogurt,
carrots and blueberries in
blender. Cover. Start on low,
then switch to blend.
Gradually add remaining
fruit a few at a time. Blend
thoroughly. Add a little
more milk if necessary. Pour
into a tall glass and enjoy.

DIRECTOR: TONY DELLA ROCCA
In this touching romantic comedy set in the early 1920's, four English
women, tired of foggy, rain-soaked London and fed up with their mun-
dane lives, decide to spend an "enchanted" month in sun-drenched Italy.
Amid the earthier Mediterranean surroundings, each finds happiness
after rediscovering new truths about themselves.
"Enchanted April" is that rarity: a play where ever single element falls
perfectly into place a show that leaves you'positively glowing"
-N.Y. Theatre

ENHANCED HEARING DEVICES HANDICAPPED FACILITIES

394
Je

I.--------------------------.5

.FREE
SMOOTHIE:
i1 (22 oz.)
with purchase:
'V.
of Smoothie.

or Wrap
(of equal or
We Cater and Deliver (of equal or I
Breakfast Lunch greater value)
Dinner I Exp 02-04-08 I
40 N.W. Federal Hwy 1, I Limit one coupon I
ensen Beach FL 34957 per customer. I
(Next to Lowe's) Can not be combined
(Next to Lowes) with any other Iu
772-692-0195 t offer or coupon..'
L-- .-

Place the first four
ingredients in a large
microwave-safe container
or follow package instruc-
tions for stovetop cooking.
Microwave on high for 5
minutes, stirring halfway
through.
Serve with a sprinkling of
brown sugar and pass the
half and half.
Old-fashioned oatmeal
contains more nutrients
than quick-cooking.

ITALIAN SPLIT-PEA
SOUP
Remember: Never use a
pressure cooker for split pea
soup.
1 (14 or 16 ounce) package,
dried green split peas
1 large carrot, cut up
1 large potato, peeled and
cut in chunks
1 large onion, cut up
1 large celery stalk with
leaves, cut up
Several sprigs Italian
parsley, chopped or two
tablespoons dried

1-1/2 teaspoons dried
oregano
1/2 teaspoons dried thyme
leaves
1/2 cup tomato sauce
Few shakes black pepper
1 ham bone trimmed of all
visible fat*
5 or more cups water
Ham hocks can be used,
but the fat content is huge.
Rinse peas in cold water,
picking out any that float.
Place all ingredients in a
large pot. Cook covered over
low heat. Stir occasionally,
add more water if necessary.
Cook for about 2 hours or
until peas literally melt.
Taste; add salt if needed.
Remove bone and cut up
any meat, reserve.
Mash soup with a potato
masher or with a large.
spoon. You can sieve it if you
like; we prefer some texture.
Add meat to pot.
Serve as a meal with
regular or low-fat biscuits.

ROASTED GARLIC
NIB

Recipe NO 1. Serves 2-3
1 bulb garlic
Remove papery outer
layer from garlic bulb. Trim
1/4 inch off the top. Wrap in
foil and roast at 350 degrees
until soft, about 1-1/4 hours.
Recipe No. 2. Serves 4-6
4 whole garlic bulbs
1/3 cup water
1/4 cup olive or canola oil
Cut the top off garlic bulbs
so that cloves are exposed.
Place cut side up in a small
baking dish. Pour water
around garlic.
Cover and bake at 350 1
hour or until garlic is very
soft. Pour out water. Slowly
drizzle oil over each bulb.
Remove cloves and serve,
each person squeezes garlic
out of skins and spreads on
crusty Italian or French
bread.
Let's talk: Arlene Borg, the

Grammy Guru, is available
for talks from south Vero to
Hobe Sound. Call (772) 465-
5656 or (800) 823-0466.
NIB: When a recipe is not
in Mrs. Borg's cookbook it
will have (NIB) next to the-
title.
Buy the book: For an
autographed cookbook,
"Romancing the Stove With
the Grammy Guru," send
$19.50($15-book, $1 tax and
$3.50 for shipping and
handling) to:Arlene M. Borg,
265 S. W..Port St. Lucie Blvd.
No. 149, Port St. Lucie, FL
34984. For multiple books
sent to one address, add $1
for each additional book to
the $3.50 base shipping cost.
Check, Visa, MasterCard or
PayPal accepted or visit
Borders in the Treasure Coast
Square Mall in Jensen Beach
or Vero Book Center in Vero
Beach.
More romancing:
www.romancingthestove.ne
t
E-mail: arlene@romanc-
ingthestove.net.

VEAL CHICKEN PASTA SEAFOOD
r ----- - - - -
,~2008Special ,
I I
1 0.00 Off Dinner'
I with purchase of two dinners and two I
I beverages. Not Valid Friday-Saturdays '
A en Monday-Saturday from 4 pm-9 pm

rj I Proprietors Carmen and Gerald
Can not be combined with any other offer or coupon / Expires 11-30-07
11005 S. Ocean Drive, Jensen Beach. FL 34957 Hutchinson Island
(Across from the Marriott Courtyards)

I 0 'I '0I:
L-------------------e

AMERICANA CAFE

398-2313
10193 S. Fed. Hwy, in PSL
In the South End of
Town Centre Shopping Ctr

The City of Stuart's Paddleboat is BACK!!!
The Paddle Wheel Boat "The City of Fredericksburg" has
returned to Martin County At the new City Hall Dock
behind Dockside Restaurant in DOWNTOWN STUART for
another season of fun on the Indian and St. Lucie Rivers.

I

Is

EVEN DAY EVERY SAT.,NIGHT
CRUISES 7-10PM
RESERVATION REQUIRED Individuals Couples
CALL NOW 772-463-4000 Large Groups Meeting
At the new City Hall Dock Weddings Parties
behind Dockside Restaurant WddingsPaties
in DOWNTOWN STUART

The Barn Theatre
Presents
S FPresented in Collaboration with
mDirecte by

HometownNews
Don't wait any longer. Get your local
edition home delivered for FREE
every week. But you must sign-up for
this FREE subscription offer.
Choose one of these 3 easy options:

1-866.913-6397

hffp://signup.hometownnewsol.com

subscription@hometownnewsol.com

RELIGION

A talking donkey and a furious king

The Israelites were
victorious, conquer-
ing the Land of
Canaan.
Most notably, they had
just defeated the Amorites.
The Israelites gained a
reputation in the land of
Canaan. Now they traveled
to the plains of Moab.
When King Balak of Moab
learned they were camped
nearby, he and his people
were terrified.
"This mob will eat us like
an ox eats grass," he
exclaimed. So King Balak
sent messengers to Balaam,
son'of Beor.
Balaam was a sorcerer;
one called upon to place
curses on others. This was a
common practice in Old
Testament times.
Let's pick up the dialog in
Numbers 22:6. Balak speaks,
"Now come and put a curse
on these people, because
they are too powerful for
me. Perhaps then I will be
able to defeat them."
When the messengers
arrived, they gave Balaam
the message from King
Balak. Balaam said, "stay
overnight, in the morning, I
will give you my answer."
That night God came to
Balaam and asked him a
rhetorical question, "Who
are these men?"
Balaam explained that
Balak wanted him to curse
Israel so that he could
defeat them in battle.
"Don't go with them and
don't curse them," God
replied; "they are a blessed

3W11AH3A3 1

11V3 AH3A3

people."
The next morning Balaam
told the messengers, "go
home, God refuses to give
me permission to go with
you." So the messengers left
and reported what hap-
pened to King Balak.
The king sent another
group of messengers to
Balaam, high-ranking
princes. This time God gave
Balaam permission to go
with them, instructing him,
"do only what I tell you."
Numbers 22:21 says,
"Balaam got up the next
morning, saddled his
donkey and went with the
princes of Moab."
As they traveled, the angel
of the Lord appeared and
stood in the middle of the
road to block Balaam. .
Balaam's donkey sudden-
ly saw the angel standing in
the road with a drawn
sword.
The donkey was so
startled; it veered off of the,
road into a ditch. Not
realizing what the donkey
saw, Balaam whipped the
donkey until it came back
on the road.
But as they were going
through a vineyard, with
walls on either side, the
donkey again saw the angel.
The donkey crashed into the
wall, crushing Balaam's foot.
But he whipped the donkey
until she moved forward.
A third time the angel
blocked the way, at a very
narrow passage. So Balaam's
donkey sat down under
him.
Still unaware of the angel,
Balaam totally lost it, and
beat the donkey with his
staff.
God supernaturally gave
the donkey the ability to
speak. The donkey said to

II

DAVID GOODE
Religion columnist
Balaam in fluent Hebrew,
"What have I done to you to
make you beat me three
times?" The enraged Balaam
didn't realize he was having
a conversation with a
donkey.
After reality set in, Balaam
exclaimed, "You have made
a fool of me, if I had a sword,
I would kill you right now."
Then God opened
Balaam's eyes and he saw
the angel standing in the
road with his sword drawn.
Balaam fell to the ground
with his face in the dirt.
The angel questioned
Balaam about his cruelty to
his donkey. The angel also
told him that his donkey
had saved his life, by stalling
and refusing to try to pass
by.
When Balaam finally
arrived at Moab, he only did
what God told him to do. He
refused to curse the
Israelites and this made
King Balak furious.'
"The misfortunes of'
Balaam, son of Beor, a
divine seer was he." These
are the first words of a
remarkable fragmentary
inscription found by
archaeologists in 1967
about 25 miles north of

Moab. This inscription was
found in the same area as
the events described in
Numbers.
This Bible story presents
Balaam as an apparent
convert. But tragically he
was only motivated by
ambition and greed. Afraid
to corse the Israelites,
Balaam later convinced
other nations to lead them
into immorality, and finally
idol worship.
His actions led to a plague
of the Israelites. This
resulted in the death of
24,000 people. There's a lot
more to the story, it's quite
interesting. Read it in
Numbers 22 through 25.
Column readers, if you're
out and about this Sunday
afternoon, stop by and say
hello. Let's get acquainted.
Food for those in need is
available at each service. We
also offer free gift cards to
individuals and families in
need. Free piano and
keyboard classes are
ongoing and free to those
who attend our worship
service.
Some of you who missed
our powerful healing service
with Evangelist Frank
Marzullo, on Sunday, Nov.
25. He will be returning
soon, stay tuned.
The Rev. David Goode is
the senior pastor at Heart of
Worship Ministries, which
meets on Sundays at 2:30
p.m. in the arts and crafts
room at the Port St. Lucie
Community Center, 2195
Airoso Blvd., across from
City Hall.
For more information, or
prayer, call (772) 408-8218 or
e-mail
eartofworshippsl@yahoo.co
m.

Scene
From page B1

Mainly Down the Drain."
Lest you think the non-
partisan group is tilting left,
John Edwards' song is "I'm
So Pretty," and Hillary
Clinton has a Shakespeare-
an bit in which 'Out, out
damn spot' and Aye, there's
the rub,' are given new
meaning. As with all topical
humor, things may change
as political fortunes change.
For this group, the ideal
political match-up would be
Hilary Clinton vs. Rudy
Giuliani.

There are so many possi-
bilities, so many New York
things, so many male and
female things, like Bill
hitting on Rudy's wife and
Rudy's ex-wives. The
women in the show would
love it; they never get to star.
I should be careful what I
wish for, though. In 1996, it
was Clinton against Dole,
and Dole seemed funny,
talking about himself in the
third person. I didn't know
what was to come in the
second Clinton term. We

lived for presidential races."
Ms Newport urges people
to come to the show if they
are not sure for whom they
want to vote.
"It will help you decide
who is funnier," she said.
"Laughter is important.
One thing she knows is
that there will never be a
lack of things and people to
poke fun of.
"It's like being a funeral
director," she says. "You
never run out of material."

Share your Good News in the

Hometown News
We will publish your Special Occasion F R E E

For More Information Call 772-569-6767

Earliest Date of Occasion will be Published First

wi t c a StillJ t o
llL unemn-(PtHo]twnel]'lwIs I g] : ']L'lco rn [

Duck
From page Bi

showcase. While he has
directed musicals, this is his
first actual play.
"It's a good experience,"
he said. "I've always want-
ed to direct and learn my

craft."
"Opal's Million Dollar
Duck" will be performed at
the Pineapple Playhouse,
700 W. Weatherbee Road,
in Fort Pierce, from Jan.

10-27. Performances are
Thursday-Saturday at 8
p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m.
Tickets are $15; call the
box office at (772) 465-
0366.

OUR STUDIO HAS EVERYTHING
YOU NEED TO CREATE A
HAND-PAINTED GIFT FOR ANY
S OCCASION...EVEN DESIGN
TOOLS TO HELP YOU ALONG!
------------------

0 .s s1/ 2 OFF
SEEDop STUDIO FEE:

CREATED BY YOU With this coupon
1720 SE PORT ST LUCIE BLVD Includes paint, supplies, I
aocATED IN MORNINGSIDE OPPES) glazing & firing IS
337-4802 I Expires 1/18/08 One per customer Can not be I
30 2V ee __. combined with other offers

IM
9 p

Religion Notes

Global Heart
Spiritual Center
Everyone is invited to
this non-denominational
Sunday morning medita-
tion and service held at
Langford Park, 2369 N.E.
Dixie Highway, Jensen
Beach. (Just South of the
old Arch) Meditation, led
by James Tucker, starts at
10 a.m. Weekly service, led
by Science of Mind Practi-
tioner Rev. Celia Filla, starts
at 10:30 a.m. Come and be
filled. Fellowship after the
service. Call (772) 332-
0074.

Resurrection Life
Family Worship
Center
*Young people of the com-
munity are invited to the
Youth (ages 8-12) and Teen
(ages 13-18) Ministry at. On
Sunday, Jan. 13, at 7 p.m.
there will be a rap session,
ministry, and discussion of
issues that concern youth.
There is no admission
charge.
The community is invit-
ed to Breakthrough Worship
Service, a night of non-stop

radical praise, on Sunday,
Jan. 6. The service begins at
7pm.
Basketball every Friday
night at Forest Grove Mid-
dle School, 3201 S. 25th
Street in Fort Pierce. The
fun begins at 9 p.m. and
there is always room for
more players. All youth
ages 12 to 18 are welcome
but come ready to play
because spectators are not
allowed.
Church number is (772)'
465-0036. Resurrection Life
Family Worship Center is
located at 405 Ixoria
Avenue in Fort Pierce.

First Presbyterian
Church of Port
St. Lucie
The Men's Club invites
gentlemen of the communi-
ty to their January meeting.
It will be held at 7 p.m. on
Wednesday, Jan. 9; fellow-
ship is guaranteed and a
special program is sched-
uled.
For additional informa-
tion call (772) 335-8900 or
visit www.firstpresbyteri-
anpsl.org First Presbyterian
Church of Port St. Lucie is
located at 2240 S.E. Walton

Road in Port St. Lucie.

Victory Word Church
The community is wel-
come to attend the Water
Baptisms on Sunday, Jan.
6. Baptisms will be held
immediately following the
10 a.m. Sunday Worship
Service.
Victory Word Church is
located at 4000 South
U.S.1 in Fort Pierce.
For additional informa-
tion please call the church,
(772) 595-0334.

Port St. Lucie
Worship Center
The Worship 'Center will
hold a Marriage Enrich-
ment Ministry at 7 p.m. on
Friday, Jan. 4. The evening
benefits couples planning
a marriage, enriches happy
marriages and can
improve troubled mar-
riages. All are welcome;
there is no charge. Port St.
Lucie Worship Center is
located at 10662 S. U.S.
Highway One, in Port St.
Lucie. For additional infor-
mation please call (772)
337-9111.

Temple Beth El Israel
Temple Beth El Israel
presents "Franklin and
Eleanor Roosevelt", a dra-
matic portrayal by William
and Sue Wills on Sunday Jan.
6, at 8 p.m. The Temple is
located on 551 S.W. Bethany
Drive in Port St. Lucid. Tick-
ets are available from the
Temple office at (772) 336-
2424. Admission is $10 for
adults and $5 for students.
Meet the cast during dessert
after the show.

Church Softball
League
St. Lucie County Church
softball league will start on
Jan. 14. Cost is $340 per team,
fees must be received by Jan.
7. Games will be held at
Lawnwood Softball Complex
on Mondays. For more infor-
mation, call (772) 462-1522.

Kingsmen in concert
First Church of the
Nazarene will host The
Kingsmen in concert on Sun-
day, Jan. 13, at 10 a.m. The
church is located at 611 Gar-
denia Ave., in Fort Pierce. For
more information, call (772)
465-1622.

* The Lyric Theatre, 59 S.W.
Flagler Ave., Stuart, presents an
evening of American Acoustic
Music featuring David
Bromberg and the Angel Band.
Tickets for the 7 p.m. show are
$43 and $38; call the box office
at (772) 286-7827 or order
online at
www.lyrictheatre.com.

SATURDAY, JAN. 12

* Live at the Blake Library,
2351 S.E. Monterey Road, Stu-
art, presents the Messiaen
Quartet. Tickets for the 11 a.m.
concert are $10 in advance and
$15 at the door and are avail-
able at the Blake Library. Call
(772) 221-1403.
* The Lyric Theatre, 59 S.W.
Flagler Ave., Stuart, presents
Vero Beach native and country
star Jake Owen for two shows,
at 5 and 8:00 p.m.; tickets are
$35 and $30: call the box office
at (772) 286-7827 or order
online at
www.lyrictheatre.com.
* Four Bitchin' Babes bring

FREE cCar Magnet

FRE. Signs(u

That's Right! FREE!

Hometown News

or Full Color And

Have teamed up to give you a gift this holiday season. Sam Ross, owner of
Skies the Limit Printing will give all new Hometown News customers one
pair of car magnet signs for FREE NO Obligation Just sign up for an
advertising program with Hometown News, get your certificate and stop
by Skies the Limit to pick up your car signs. While you are there, Sam can
handle all of your printing needs! ag Sr'r I

Hometown News

1102*S US HWY#1
Ft. Pierce, FL 34950
(772) 465-5656

899 Prima Vista Blvd.
Port St. Lucie, FL 34952
(772) 340-1090

"Hormonal Imbalance: A
Mood-Swinging Musical
Revue," to the Sunrise Theatre,

4, AND WIT E Wi 'If
aII LI U It WEDDIIE

wwwHonietownNewsOL.com

Welcome to

a New Year and
a New You!

There's nothing regimented about living at Merrill Gardens at Port St. Lucie.
You choose the floor plan for your apartment. Decorate it the way you want.
Take part in your favorite recreational and social events. Invite old friends over
or get to know a lot of new ones. Have a small pet, if you like. In short, live
pretty much the way you want to. Minus the housework.

MERRILL GARDENS
AT PORT ST. LUCIE
A one of a kind retirement community

For more information or
to visit, call today!
(772) 337-0084
9825 South US Highway 1
Port St. acie, FL 34952

www.merrillgardens.com Assisted Living Facility #9628 Q

I S e e O u t, B 1 3 I . . . ... . . . . . . . . . .

"I used to

like school."
THE TRUTH IS:
Your child won't tell you that he or she
is having trouble. Since 1977 parents
have been using Huntington to help : ,
their children reach their full
potential. Huntington will kee
pinpoint your child's academic
strengths and weaknesses and tailor a .
program of individualized instruction to improve
grades and increase confidence and motivation.
Reading Writing Math
SPhonics Study Skills SAT ACT FCAT

S ^Huntington
LEARNING CENTER*

*7 772-335-5010
Market Place at Port St. Lucie
10364 S. Federal Hwy, Rt. 1, Port St. Lucie, FL 34952
US 1 Just North of Port St. Lucle Boulevard, next to Clcl's Pizza
Independently franchised and operated. Offer valid for diagnostic evaluation only. Not valid with any other offer. 02006 Huntington Learning Centers; Inc.

F221-06271^^^^^^^^^^^^^

I RETIREMENT & AssISTEu) LiVINC. l

0 -1- HORXJ SMWI CoMU-

H

Nei

i

BIO
B10

o

,-
0
0

i

. I
z
0
00
0

0

(N
t
10
r'

10
i

U.3
S-J

BY JOHN MACDONALD
Sports writer
In a time of year where
wishes and dreams seem
to magically come true,
several area sports figures
gave their take on what
they'd like to see happen
in 2008.
Port St. Lucie Athletic
Director Danny Ninestine
has seen his teams
accomplish a lot during
his tenure, most recently
he enjoyed the Jaguars'
run to the baseball state
championship game.
Ninestine's aspirations
for his athletes are lofty
ones and are generally
shared by most coaches
and administrators.
"I wish for all our teams
to be successful and to get
some kids into college,"
Ninestine said. "For all
our teams to play well and
that nobody gets hurt.
"It really doesn't matter
if someone gets 100 points
in a game or three touch-
downs in game. What mat-
ters is did they get a good
high school education and

get to the next level.".
Having recently
received a state champi-
onship gift wrapped by his
players, Jensen Beach vol-
leyball coach Mike
Sawtelle hoped everyone
touched by the title run
would be able to sense its
significance.
"I wish the players,
coaches and family mem-
bers could all step back
and realize that the suc-
cess we've had winning
the state championship is
a gift we've been given,"
Sawtelle said.
'All the success the team
has had has come from
hard work, dedication and
determination to make
the entire team, school
and entire program the
best it could possibly be.
"I wish we continue to
do the best we possibly
can. I wish we continue to
receive well-rounded stu-
dent athletes that are edu-
cated as well as athletical-
ly gifted.
Sawtelle's desire was not
just for his program, but
school wide as well.
"I wish for continued

"It really doesn't matter if someone gets 100
points in a game or three touchdowns in
game. What matters is did they get a good
high school education and get to the next
level'

Danny Ninestine
Port St. Lucie Athletic Director

success for Jensen Beach
High School," Sawtelle
said. "I've seen many
schools in the Treasure
Coast area be built. When
a new school is built there
is an influx of the best
players in the area, so
there is an immediate
short-lived success.
"The long-term success
we've had (at Jensen
Beach) has amazed me the
most. It started with soc-
cer, basketball then vol-
leyball. We've had two
state champion wrestlers.
"Our athletes are con-
tinuing to grow and con-
tinuing to produce elite
programs."
Baseball coach George
Young has seen his share

of success as well, having
led the Sebastian River as
well as the Indian River
Elite American Legion
teams to new heights.
This past season,
Young's Elite team -
which features the best
Indian River County has
to offer came within an
eyelash of a state champi-
onship, losing to Coral
Springs in the title game.
As for the Sharks, Young
has quietly built the pro-
gram into one of the
state's best, sparked by a
tremendous run two sea-
sons ago that saw Sebast-
ian win its first-ever dis-
trict title and make it-to
the Region 4-5A semifi-
nals.

Young hopes 2008 is no
different.
"You're always looking
to win a district title,"
Young said. "That's a big
goal.
"My biggest wish is to
keep the team healthy and
to get every kid that's a
senior this year onto col-
lege. Wins and losses are
important, but seeing a
young man goes off to col-
lege on a.partial or full
scholarship to play base-
ball is a big key to our suc-
cess."
Young also wishes that
the steroid scandal that
has touched Major League
Baseball will help the stars
of tomorrow understand
that performance-
enhancing drugs are not
the answer.
"We try to teach them
-that hard work and dedi-
cation always pays off, but
it's not going to happen
overnight, Young said. "In
steroids, kids see an easy
avenue to get a lot faster
and stronger.
"Putting a lot of time in,
not putting a needle in
your arm or leg is what

pays off."
For first-year Fort Pierce
Westwood girls' basketball
coach Alvin Hamilton, his
wish is indeed a large one.
"A big girl," Hamilton
said.
Hamilton's squad,
although successful, is a
bit undersized.
"All are starters are 5-
foot-5," Hamilton said. "At
113 pounds, (Jankendia)
Felton is our heaviest
starter."
So far this season, what
the Panthers lack is size, it
has made up with heart
and determination. After
winning just eight games
over the past two seasons,
Westwood is 7-7 with two
of its recent losses coming
to state powers Jensen
Beach and Sebastian
River.
"I wish for us just to be
competitive," Hamilton
said. "We're doing much
better. We've gotten off to
a real good start.
"Our girls are getting
confident. They know
every night they go on the
floor they can win."

BETE HA VE!

ID I GY

FIMOTNSESSCEA-oCNTERSCT

335-1269

150S enadR.PotS.Lui645

BY JOHN MACDONALD
Sports writer
Recently, with the Sebast-
ian River basketball team
trailing in the final seconds,
Brian Martin calmly hit a
running 10-footer that

found nothing but the bot-
tom of the net to give the
Sharks a scintillating 70-69
win over previously Unbeat-
en Fort Pierce Central.
That same night, Martin
County smoked St. Lucie
West Centennial 74-40,
keeping the Tigers a perfect
7-0 on the young season.
To borrow from a popular,
but overused advertising
campaign from the NBA,
Treasure Coast basketball
has indeed been "Fantastic"
so far this season.
"Martin County has
played very well," Vero

Beach head coach Chuck
Loewendick said. "They've
put up some big numbers.
"Sebastian and Central
have played very well.
"(These teams) have
played the best basketball in
the area so far."
As sparkling as the afore-
mentioned teams have
played, Vero Beach might be
at the head of the 2007-08
class. Up until Dec. 21, the
Indians were undefeated,
riding a nine-game winning
streak to open the season.
On that night, however,
Vero came up a little bit

Robert J. Kulas, EA.
Attorneys at Law

short, losing a 59-51 deci-
sion to the Grandview Prep
Pride the No. 2 ranked
team in Class IA.
Despite the loss, the Indi-
ans quickly regrouped to
defeat Daytona Seabreeze
47-43 the following night to
take third place in the St.
Andrew's Holiday Classic.
"Coming into the season,
we felt the kids worked hard
in the off season and presea-
son," Loewendick said.
"We've played well.
"I'm real happy with the
guys' effort and concentra-
tion up to this point. Our
goal is to get better every
practice, every game."
A big key to Vero's success
has been the steady play of
point guard Jim Leffew. A
three-year starter, Leffew
has been exceptional all sea-
son, including the Indians
Dec. 14 game against Mel-
bourne.
Once down by nine in the
fourth quarter, Leffew
brought the Indians to with-
in one with a 3-pointer with
1:11 to go. Then, moments
later, the senior capped the
comeback with a dunk to
give Vero Beach the lead.
The Indians went on to

) See HOOPS, B11

www.kulaslaw.com

2100 SE Hillmoor Drive, Suite 105 Port St. Lucie, Florida 34952 (772) 398-0720
Member of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys Member of the American Academy of Estate Planning Attorneys
The hiring of a lawyer is an important decision which should not be based solely upon advertisements. Before you decide, ask us
to send you free, written Information regarding our qualifications and experience.

Mitch Kloorfain/chief photographer
Port St. Lucie High School's Ashanta Roger looks for a way to get around Kim Alfeo (No. 25) of Jupiter High School dur-
ing the opening round of the Treasure Coast Holiday Classic Thursday, Dec. 27. Jupiter won the opening game 56-25.

Hoops
From page B10

win 50-47.
"The Melbourne game, we
didn't play our best game,"
Loewendick said. "(Leffew)
played really well.
"He's been our leader on
the court. He's 'averaging 17
points a game and six assists
and only one turnover a
game.
"He's having a great year
for us."
The same can be said for
Keith Matthews of Sebastian
River. Although just a sopho-
more, Matthews has quietly
led the Sharks to a solid 9-2
start. The 15-year-old has
continued to come through
all season, as evidenced in
Sebastian's recent district
win over Bayside.
With Bayside holding a
tenuous 73-70 lead with a
minute left in the game,
Matthews drained a 3-point-
er to tie the game. Sebastian
went on to win the contest
75-73.
"He's a coach's dream,"
Sebastian head coach Mark
Adams said. "He works as
hard as any player I've ever
coached.
"He gets me excited to
come to work with him."
Though just a freshman,
Matthews helped lead the
Sharks to a 18-12 mark last
season, making it to the
regional semifinals before
falling to St. Thomas
Aquinas. He continued his
torrid pace into this cam-
paign, scoring a double-
double with 21 points and 13
rebounds in Sebastian's first
win of the season over St.
Lucie West Centennial.
The Sebastian resident
had perhaps the best night
of his career in the Sharks
came against area rival Mar-
tin County on Dec. 21.
Matthews poured in a game-
high 36 points, but it wasn't
enough as the Tigers pulled
,out a 74-67 win.
Despite the setback, the
Sharks have a chance to play
deep into the postseason, if
Matthews has anything to
say about it.
"I just try and do my part
to help my team win,"
Matthews said. "Winning
games, you've got to like it." '

Martin County has
become accustomed of late
to the sweet taste of victory
as well. The win over the
Sharks was a huge step in
finishing the season strong
after the team suffered its
first loss of the season in its
previous game against W.T.
Dwyer.
"I am confident that we
have enough veteran players
to bounce back after a tough
loss," Martin County head
coach Andre McIntyre said.
"The kids responded well."
The Tigers improved to 10-
1 with a 80-51 win over
Clearwater Countryside in
the first round of the Hall-A-
Fame Classic. RidgeGraham
led all scorers with 15 points
while Quamian Foreman
chipped in 13.
"Ridge Harris has been a
dominant presence all sea-
son," McIntyre said. "He's
very consistent.
"He's averaging 20.3 points
and 15.6 rebounds a game.
He's dominating the boards:
"Quamian Foreman I

like to call him the quiet
assassin. He leads by exam-
ple. He plays hard.
"He's a very cerebral play-
er. He thinks the game. His
basketball IQ is so high."
McIntyre said his team
wouldn't be where it is if not
for the play ,of, shooting
guard Ronnie Nelson.
Known for his ability to hit
the long range jumper he
leads the Treasure Coast
with 27 3-pointers Nelson
is also charged with the duty
of shutting down the opposi-
tion's best.
"He guards the best

perimeter player on the
opposing team," McIntyre
said. "He gets after you
defensively."
Now in his 13th year at the
helm for the Tigers, McIntyre
credits the players as well as
his assistant coaches for the
program's continued'-suc-
cess.
"We've had quality' kids
who have been quality bas-
ketball players," Mclntyre
said. "I've also had great
assistant coaches."
Conversely, in his first year
0 See HOOPS, B12

I We Service All Makes of Vehicles,
Mon.-Fri. 8-5:30 Open Saturday Tires, Brakes, Suspention, Interstate
With over 15 Years Experience Batteries, Tune Ups, Maintenance,
Done Right the Proformances, Exhaust, Dionocie
First Time Guaranteed We Do It Right The First Time.

s we are now in the
New Year, I feel it
would only be fitting
to take a look into my
crystal ball and see what's
in store for us golfers in
the coming 12 months.
I forsee 2008 will
become known as "The
Year of the Book."
Books written by many
of golf's stars and want-to-
be stars will soon arrive at
stores. Here are a few
choices to consider at your
next Book of the Month
Club meeting.
Michelle Wie's first book
is aptly named "Entitle-
ment." In her book, the
Stanford University

freshman explains the
nuances of obtaining
exemptions into events no
matter the state of one's
golf game. Included is a
chapter on how to grace-
fully declare yourself
injured during any round
where you may not break
90. The introduction,
written by her father, Bo,
explains how best to cling
to your child and her
money.
John Daly's new and yet
untitled book will reach
the shelves without a
conclusion. He wrote the
first half or so of the book
and then without notice
quit. Fans will life up at

bookstores to read the
published few chapters,
but be left wondering what
could have been.
A new book from Rory
Sabatini will teach golfers
how to "Win Friends on
the Golf Course." The six-
page book was written in
about three minutes and
must be read just as
quickly before the ink, like
Rory at the Target World
Challenge, disappears. If
you purchase the book in
the special gift pack, you
will also receive a "Keep
Up" T-shirt for your
spouse, autographed by
Rory's wife.
On the other side of the
coin, Ben Crane's long-
awaited book, "Golf My
Way," is still incomplete.
Crane began work on the
book while a senior in high
school. The publisher
hopes to have the book on
the shelves in time for the
2010 holiday season.
A compilation book,
written by many of today's
PGA players, is finally
ready. The book, "How to
Stretch the Rules to Your
Advantage," covers how to
properly apply the rules of
golf to your greatest
benefit. There is a wonder-
ful chapter on how to best

lift, clean and place your
ball when conditions are
wet. Another explains how
to get a free drop from
atop a clubhouse roof or
from under a bush when a
television cable i within
50 yards.
"Aquaman's Guide to
Sand Saves and Snorkel-
ing" is Woody Austin's
latest foray into the world
of instructional books.
Austin's book, filled with
fabulous pictures and
diagrams, details how to
hit those pesky greenside
bunker shots and enjoy a
few minutes exploring the
pond guarding ,the 16th
green. Who knows, you
may save a few shots and
,find a couple Pro VIs.

Sergio Garcia's new book
deals with proper whine
selection. "El Diablo's
Guide to Whining"
instructs the golfer on the
fine art of which whine
goes with which poor shot.
Golfers need to know that
the same whine used for a
bad bounce is not the
same as the one used
when the caddie gave him
or her poor advice or read
the putt incorrectly. This
could be the "must read"
of the year.
Jim Furyk's long-awaited
book "Starting Over and
Over Again" will hopefully
hit the shelves by summer.
Mr. Furyk has yet to find
the book quite to his
liking. He seems to be
stuck in a constant loop of
reading the book, re-
reading the book, getting
ready to send it to the
publisher, then re-reading
it again and starting over.
Greg Norman's latest
book is not about golf. In
"How to Get Divorced for
Less Than $60 million," he
uses his personal experi-
ence to help others cope
while struggling through a
difficult time in their lives.
A book that should
inspire millions was
penned by Nick O'Hern. In

"How to Hunt Down a
Tiger," he tells of how he
has taken down the world's
No. 1 golfer in match play
the past two years. Mr.
Sabatini's attempt to write
a similar book was thwart-
ed when Tiger Woods took
his pen from him.
Finally, I believe that
Tiger must have given that
pen to his trusty caddie,
Steve Williams. In the
pages of his book, "A
Caddie's Guide to Photo
Etiquette," Williams gives
would-be paparazzi tips
on how to prevent their
cameras from winding up
at the bottom of a lake.
As for me, I have yet to
begin my book. Parts of it
are somewhere in my
head. Perhaps some day
they will make it to the
bookstore.
Until then, keep reading
my column, right here,
every week. Happy New
Year! *

James Stammer has been
an avid golfer and golf
enthusiast for 30 years. He
hosts the Tuesday Night
Golf Show on WPSL 1590-
AM radio station. Contact
him at
jstammer@yahoo.com.

ru m page. .i i
as coach of Fort Pierce Cen-
tral is James Dawson. A dis-
ciple of Loewendick's, Daw-
son gained valuable insight
playing as well as coaching
under the Vero Beach leader.
Now, with the Cobras under
his charge Dawson has
quickly built the team into a
force to be reckoned with.
A 65-50 win over city rival
Fort Pierce Westwood put
Central at 8-1 and looking
toward possible postseason
participation.
"My expectation for us
was to be a hard-nosed
defensive team," Dawson,
said. "Any game we play, our
goal is to win.
"We started out red hot."
Unfortunately, the
embers have cddle da bif'of
late as Central dropped its
last two games, leaving
Dawson shaking his head.
"I think the guys have got-
ten complacent," Dawson
said. "We need surgery -
we're bleeding.
"The better coaches find a
way to stop the bleeding
and rally the troops.
"A lot of teams would love
to be 8-3, but we could easi-
ly be 11-0. Team-wise, we're
better than the teams we've

lost against.
"Maybe, the style of play I
asked us to play is wearing
us down more than the
teams we're playing."
Dawson is hoping some
time off from the game -
the team is not playing in
any holiday tournaments or
practicing during the
Christmas break will be
the remedy.
"It's probably good being
away," Dawson said. "I'm
hoping that's the case."
Dawson is not the only
first-year coach dipping his
feet into the Treasure Coast
waters. Rob Recknagel of
the Titans was handed the
reins of the program still in
its fancy. The team strug-
Sgimd t'0a'3-17tmark last sea-
son under Shane Williams,
but the Titans quickly
showed that this season
would be different.
After losing a tightly con-
tested game to Vero Beach
to open the season, the
Titans defeated South Fork
51-49 when Matt Davis sank
two free throws with two
seconds remaining in the
game.
Treasure Coast then won
another tight affair on a last-
second shot to send Sebast-
ian River packing 47-46.
Since then, the Titans ran
its record to 7-6 before
dropping its last two games.
Despite the slide, Treasure
Coast's play has drawn
praise from area coaches.
"I'm a fan of high school
basketball," Dawson said. "I
like the Treasure Coast
team.
"I like a hard-nosed team.
I like teams that play hard."
For Loewendick, who has
seen his share of elite
squads in his 20-year tenure
at Vero Beach especially
his own this season is no
different.
"I take them one (year)
after another," Loewendick
said. "As long as I feel the
enthusiasm I'll keep doing
it.
"I have a good group of
kids that make coming to
practice fun."

JAMES STAMMER
Golf columnist

NOW

OFFERING
--- --------------
:10% OFF
FACIALS OR SKIN
i CARE PRODUCTS I
WITH THIS AD
1 EXP. 1-31-08

* The Lyric Theatre, 59 S.W.
Flagler Ave., Stuart, presents
Western and country singers
Riders in the Sky. Tickets for the
5 p.m. and 8 p.m. shows are
$35 and $30; call (772) 286-
7827 or order online at
www.lyrictheatre.com.

* The Preservation Hall Jazz
Band comes to the Sunrise
Theatre, 117 S. Second St., Fort
Pierce, for a 7 p.m. show. Tick-
ets are $35 and $29; call the
box office at (772) 461-4775 or
order online at www.sun-
risetheatre.com.
* Singer/songwriter Art Gar-
funkle comes to the Lyric The-
atre for a 7 p.m. show. Tickets
are $75; (772) 286-7827 or
order online at www.lyricthe-
atre.com.

WEDNESDAY, JAN. 16

* Blues and rock guitarist
Robin Trower comes to the
Sunrise Theatre, 117 S. Second
St., Fort Pierce, for a 7 p.m.
show. Tickets are $29 and $25;
call (772) 461-4775 or order
online at
www.sunrisetheatre.com.

e

* --

* -

S --
* ~.- -
* -

* -

*

0 0
*
*
-
- =

*
0

Qe~ .~
~- ,~

*0~

* -

*

^

N o
* .0w

- -
*

-
-~
* ___
*

pe 0 0

4
*
4

S
- 00.0

0 -

0. -
=
~-0
-Q

-0 0.
-
-~
*5 -~ 4

* --
0---~

0- -
* 0.

0 0

Iow 4910

-m.

* -

O
*
0.0
*

-
S

S
S

0.-~ S
S
S

-~
~-0

-~

* 0.

*0.

m -

41--o.--

lb

-4b

lw --
ql

"My resume-writing and career coaching
business has grown as a result of advertising
in the Hometown News. "I have placed a
number of ads in the Hometown News with
great success. Thanks, Hometown News!!!"
Syndee Feuer President
Career Tactics, LLC

I am very impressed with the affordability of
advertising in the Hometown News. The staff
is helpful and informative. I received a lot of
calls and new leads after placing my ad in
the Hometown News and I know it is perti-
Snentto utilize such a source that will pene-
trate our local community.
Karen Russo, Realtor

We sold our car and T s Jeems e first I Sold my piano and
our boat using the day ad appeared! Tried bench only 2 days after
classified section. other papers with no placing my ad in the
-- Mike & Julie success. Your ad worked paper
(MS Satellite Bch!) JR

NOTICE OF SALE
Public Notice is hereby given that the Trl County Automotive S
Towing will sell at Public Auction, pursuant to Florida Statutes
section 713.78 to the highest bidder, to be held at Tri County
Automotive at 3345 Okeechobee Rd, Ft. Pierce, FL 34947,
9:00AM the following:

Terms of sale are cash and no checks will be accepted. Seller
reserves the right of final bid. All sales are final. No refunds
will be made Said automobiles will be sold In "as is" condition
with no guarantees. Pub: JANUARY 4, 2008

./The ARC %
Sof Martin County
S 1956
Now Hiring!!
The ARC of Martin County
Is seeking high energy,
motivated, flexible
candidates who have a
real.interest in working
with individuals with
developmental disabilities
for the following position:
.* Direct Care Support
Assistant Residential
Manager

ELECTRICIAN -
Exp. Service Electrician
Needed Salary Based
on Exp. Small Company
Call 772-370-2250
RJ MASONRY looking
for experienced
concrete/foundation
foreman in forming &
finishing. All types of
foundations for commer-
cial & high end residen-
tial. Must be qualified to
manage a crew & very
competent. Proficient in
lasers levels. Bilingual
preferred. Exc. pay
772-569-3004 or
772-473-9699

or log onto www.HometownNewsOL.com to place your ad |
Please Mail, Fax or Email Your Free Ad No Phone Calls
S For private party use only Commrercial advertising is not eligible 2 ads per month
Your Name _____________
---A------- -__ Address____
City State Zip__
Home Phone Daytime Phone____
Mail or Fax Coupon to the
Hometown News Office Nearest You!
--- -------- ,Deadline for Free Ads is Monday at 5:00 pm
Thanks to all of our readers for submitting your Free ads for merchandise priced under $200.
A gentle reminder: We allow 4 lines only including your phone number and only 2 ads per month per household.
Ads are scheduled for 2 consecutive Friday publications. If you sell the item, you can cancel it and submit an ad to replace it.
All FREE ads must be submitted by mail, fax or email. We cannot handle phone calls for free ads at this time.
And finally, please remember to include your name and address when submitting your ads.
Our advertisers make this service possible, so thank you for supporting our advertisers and thank you for reading the
HOMETOWN NEWS!ill
HOME OFFICE VERO BEACH OFFICE JUPITER OFFICE
1102 S. U.S. 1 1020 Old Dixie Hwy 840 Jupiter Park Drive, Suite 102
Fort Pierce, FL 34950 Vero Beach, FL 32960 Jupiter, FL 33458
Fax 5a 6F

ed- Best Pay and Home

ATime! Apply Online To-et

eM Best a nHow

day over 750 Companies!
One Application, Hun-
dreds of Offers!
http://hammerlaneiobs.com
WEB PRESS OPERA-
TOR. Full-Time Position
requiring some press
exp., in one or more
areas: offset, letterpress,
or flexo. PC literate and
flexibility in working hours
desirable. Fax resume to
Jim 321-768-2144

45 S-s 5 Sales

*NOW SEEKING *

Rep In Training

Join An Award Winning Community Newspaper
VOTED THE#1
COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER IN THE USA
Hometown News is a locally owned, independent weekly community
newspaper group currently producing 18 separate editions
and approximately 500,000 total circulation.
If you are hardworking, goal-oriented and willing to put forth that
"extra effort" to get the job done right, we would like to talk to you.

NEED ELECTRICAL
WORK? Why not get the
highest quality work for
less $$$ from the Largest
Electrical Co. on the
Treasure Coast. Big work
or small, we do it all!
+24hr emergency svc.
772-340-7474 Gerelco
Electrical Contractors
Lic#EC-A001408 Visa/MC

VISIT OUR
ONLINE SITE
www.HometownNewsOL.com
Photos with your ad, High
Definition Slide Shows
and more
800-823-0466
-, = : i

wow
PORT ST. LUCIE PGA
Village 3/2 Brand new
Perfectly designed for a
beautiful life. More land
than the average. Gated
Good Schools. Close to
95. Neg 561-820-0806
PORT St. LUCIE West
3/2, carport, large yard,
totally renovated. Near
schools, 1-95 & tpke.
$1050/mo + security.
772-879-2830

MERCEDES 380SL '85
convertible 2 tops,
storage rack, hoist for
hard top with new rear
window & cover. New
tires, new paint &
convertible top. Have all
receipts for work done.
$10,500 772-263-0529
See pictures at
capttonyo000@yahoo.com

466-7022
MVon-Fri 10am-8pm Sat 10am-6pm Sun 12-5pm
*Monthly financing available. Must put sales tax down. FREE layaway. We are not responsible for typographical errors. Prices not valid towards prior purchases. Some items
sold as is, one of a kind, discontinued. No layaway on those items. ** Does Not Apply To Prior Sales Off special price DFI always sells at discount prices. *** Some of
these items are one of a kind floor model no reorder or layaway available must take delivery or pick up 3-days from purchase date. Some pic-
tures for illustration purposes only. **** FINANCING AVAILABLE ALSO 90, 180, 360 DAYS NO INTEREST DELIVERY AVAILABLE